Emerging from the depths of Montreal’s increasingly deep pool of musical talent, the Besnard Lakes have made a forceful sophomore effort with 2007’s appropriately titled The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse. Founded by husband and wife Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas, the Lakes have a talented additional cast, most of whom have been in the business for years. Experimental and eccentric, the band’s music sways between melodic shoegaze, neo-psychedelia and powerful guitar rock. The result is an edgy blend, heavy on reverb and atmosphere, that begs comparison to Brian Wilson, Pink Floyd, Queen (due to Lasek’s impressive falsetto) and the darker side of the Mamas and the Papas. Besnard Lakes plays with the Stay Lows at Soundlab on Friday (July 27), at 9pm.