Tegan and Sara
Egyptian Room, 502 N. New Jersey St.
Thursday, May 8, 7:30 p.m., $23, all-ages

It’s been a hectic couple of months for Tegan and Sara Quin, those tattooed twin sisters from Canada, as they continue to tour in support of their fifth album, 2007’s “The Con.” Just three weeks after finishing a European tour, the musicians arrived in the United States, headlining a few dates in the West before taking on a Friday evening slot at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival.

Tegan and Sara arrived on the indie music scene in 1999 with their first album, “Under Feet Like Ours.” Their follow-up earned them opening spots for Neil Young and Rufus Wainwright and their first headlining tour in Canada, as well as a live performance on “David Letterman.” Those early albums carried a heavy acoustic folk influence, something that would fall away on later albums as the band took on more of a pop sound.

“The Con” is a bit of a departure for the sisters, both sonically and spatially. They relocated to Portland, Ore., to record with Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie. They also brought Walla’s fellow Death Cabber Jason Mcgerr on board as a drummer, with AFI’s Hunter Burgan and the Rentals’ Matt Sharp as bassists.

The album shows the Quins at times as soft and caring, defenseless and needy. But more often than not they are abrasive; most songs pack short bursts of energy, frenzied assaults that leave you dazed and wondering what hit you. The twins’ vocals are angular and dagger-like; listening to these angsty relationship war stories, you have to wonder if they are striking out at themselves and not an external antagonist. Either way, the conflict makes for great pop music and should translate into a high-energy show for Indianapolis.