Wolf Parade's Apologies To The Queen Mary was one of the best records of 2005, but the band quickly developed an acute case of side-project-itis, an affliction that has reached epidemic proportions among Canadian music makers. Happily, three years later, they've decided to make another record as Wolf Parade, not as Handsome Furs, Frog Eyes, Swan Lake, and that most tasty side dish, Sunset Rubdown. On their second album for Sub Pop, At Mount Zoomer (out today), Wolf Parade sounds more mature and more cohesive, despite these numerous indulgent wanderings.

Supposedly, the band promised the label that there would be "no singles" on this album, and, well, mission accomplished. There's no equivalent of Apologies' anthemic "Modern World" or the raw decree "I'll Believe in Anything." And this isn't necessarily a bad thing. While fans might feel a tinge of disappointment at first listen, this is a richly complex album that grows more enjoyable with each listen. The manic cries of Queen Mary have been traded for dark, rollicking melodies with a '70s vibe. It's been said that the album might be "this generation's Marquee Moon," but it's more like Television covering Fleetwood Mac's Tusk.

On the third track, "Language City," there are also hints of Spoon (minus the Austin twang and sunshine), as co-lead Dan Boeckner sings, "We were tired, we can't sleep / All this working just to tear it down," but two minutes in the song turns, quickens delicately, and then slows down again with the sort of haunting aura that punctuates the group's confidence. The next track, Spencer Krug's "Bang Your Drum," sounds most like their earlier work, with Krug's strange cries set against a minimal backdrop. "If you're with me on the other side, strike up the band, we have survived," he sings. We're always with Krug—who has one of the most intriguing voices in indie rock today—but his tracks sound less in step with the band than Boeckner's here.

At Mount Zoomer is no Marquee Moon, but it's a solid, near great sophomore effort. If Krug, Broeckner, and Co. can manage to contain their various side projects, Wolf Parade's next album very well could be that sort of classic.