Slender Means is basically the go-to band for effusively perfect indie-pop in Seattle. That’s been the case since their 2005 jewel of a debut, Neon and Ruin, and the quintet’s new record, Adrift in the Cosmos, stays true to their lively, golden pop sound. Josh Dawson’s vocals have all the soul and pathos of Morrissey’s, only delivered via Dawson’s cleaner, more dazzling falsetto. And Slender Means is a complete package – the keyboards and guitar are always fluid, the drums are always tight, and you’d be hard-pressed to find sweeter vocal harmonies than those sung by the delightful Sonny Votolato—which makes every Slender Means song sound satisfyingly complete. The songs on Adrift are intricately built on these soaring layers of melodies – halfway through the opening track, Dawson and an escalating unison of backing voices assure us, “All in all it was a good life.” It’s an appropriate lead-in to the stirring sequence of songs that follow. With the Sea Navy and Spanish For 100. E. THOMPSON

Sat., Dec. 5, 9 p.m., 2009