As local indie rock staple Elephone prepares to release their new album Canister on Talking House Records, those of us who knew the old Elephone find the new sound quite changed, but not at the expense of the energy and charisma that they are so known for.

This album brings one critical change to the band – the addition of Sierra Frost (of Two Seconds) on keyboard and vocals. Frost’s vocals are reminiscent of some of the recent female powerhouses, such as Karen O, and provide the perfect companion to singer Ryan Lambert’s conversational melodies.

The name “Canister” refers to a film canister, as Lambert drew inspiration from his time in the film industry, and the film theme is evident if you listen for it in the lyrics and the dramatic changes in mood. Having signed to Talking House just last year, the band also recorded the whole album on analog equipment, to keep the feeling of capturing a moment in time as opposed to a sequence of pieced-together clips.

Tracks like “El Jefe” and “Canister” bring together the male-female vocals in different ways, the former featuring Frost on a repeating motif that is just so damn catchy, and the latter being more of a blended, graceful combination of vocals. All in all, the album is fun to listen to as pure entertainment, as well as for its arrangements.

The album will be released next Tuesday, July 15. In the meantime, you can head over to Butter (354 11th St.) on Sunday for a CD listening party and Eddie Izzard-lookalike contest (more details on their MySpace), or check out their CD release party at the Great American next Wednesday the 16th. They will be joined by Scissors for Lefty, Locksley (Brooklyn) and Murder of Lilies. 8pm, $13.