Besnard Lakes take dip in familiar waters

The Besnard Lakes’ new album, the curiously titled “The Besnard Lakes are the Roaring Night,” finds the Montreal collective expanding upon previous albums. A combination of increased instrumentation and tight arrangements leads to an album that manages to sound both epic and intimate at the same time.

The Besnard Lakes have a lot in common with the other revered Montreal band, Arcade Fire. Both groups expand beyond the standard guitar(s)/bass/drum set-up and tend to write songs that usually end up as sing-song anthems by their climax. Unfortunately, that level of grandeur isn’t always sustained on this album; instead of offering a change of pace, the slower moments bring it to a complete stop. The final few songs just float away, without any real resolution.

Despite unevenness, “The Besnard Lakes are the Roaring Night” is exhilarating enough at the high points to make it worthwhile. Even at the lowest moments, the group’s passion is always audible, if not deafening.