Who needs a quarter-life crisis? At age 26, Tegan & Sara are five records into their career and miles away from their folkie beginnings. They’ve reached the point where it doesn’t matter that they’re girls, it doesn’t matter that they’re twins and it sure doesn’t matter that they’re Canadian. Tegan and Sara Quin are indie rock stars—period. With their newest album, it’s official.

Recorded in Portland and produced by Chris Walla along with Tegan and Sara, The Con features guest performances by Death Cab’s Jason McGerr and Matt Sharp of The Rentals and Weezer fame.

At first listen, it’s not as accessible as their previous effort, So Jealous (2004). Sara writes in the summer issue of Venus Zine that she composed her half of songs for this album in a closet, and maybe that explains things a little. But not quite halfway through The Con, she brandishes that real pop sensibility with the catchy keyboard riff of “Back In Your Head.”

Both “Burn Your Life Down” and “Like O, Like H” strike the perfect balance between dark drama and mass appeal, the former hitting its stride with two brief but effective pauses among lyrics concerning the death of the sisters’ “grama.” Besides the title song, “Nineteen” is Tegan’s best contribution to the album; it’s also one of the more obvious love songs (or because this is Tegan & Sara, doomed love songs).

Tegan & Sara’s sold-out Canadian and U.S. tour begins Saturday in Victoria, B.C. If you have a ticket, consider yourself lucky.