Photo by Lindsey Byrnes
It’s been a long time coming for Canadian twin sisters Sara and Tegan Quin since their little independent debut Under Feet Like Ours in 1999. With pure and simpel melodies that tend to stuck in the listeners ears the duo marked a special apparition in the haze of young talented independent musicians in the early years of the 21st century – that was when “independent” still mend something. But TEGAN AND SARA never really enjoyed being named in the same line as bands like BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE or Conor Oberst’s BRIGHT EYES. They’ve done their own thing ever since then – typical twin reaction, it seems. The Quin sisters slowly but constantly opened themselves and their sound up to new ideas to keep it exciting for everyone. This consequence might explain Heartthrob, the band’s seventh studioalbum which is as pop as a record probably can be.
TEGAN AND SARA – Heartthrob
01. Closer
02. Goodbye, Goodbye
03. I Was A Fool
04. I’m Not Your Hero
05. Drove Me Wild
06. How Come You Don’t Want Me
07. I Couldn’t Be Your Friend
08. Love They Say
09. Now I’m All Messed Up
10. Shock To Your System
Although the duo has always been quite open to pop compositions and are heavily influenced by intelligent mainstream music of the 80s and 90s, it’s never been as obvious as on Heratthrob. This record is probably as indie as DAVID GUETTA (with whom the girls recently worked too) makes intelligent and complex electronic music. TEGAN AND SARA present pop to its purest – melody-driven, shallow, a bit naive and heavily candied with sweetness. These ten songs are basicly songs which KATY PERRY or CARLY RAE JEPSON would kill for to have at least one of them on their album. TEGAN AND SARA got them all at one place – opener and first single Closer already disarms you with it’s catchy hook and beat, the following Goodybe, Goodybe is not less energetic. And even when I Was A Fool slows a bit down it’s still completely overdosed – and it might even rip a bit off ROXETTE’s evergreen Listen To Your Heart.
More sound, more production, more mainstream accessable pop – that is what Heartthrob is about. You could moan about that and argument with the typical ‘sell out’ phrase or you could just embrace the bands bravery. TEGAN AND SARA playing and living these songs with a consequence that is just too addictive to not enjoy at least a bit. Of course, if you’re expecting a edgy and deep indie-album, Heartthrob couldn’t be farer away from that. It might be an evolution not every fan would follow but you have to admit one thing – if you’re trying to write a good pop song, you actually have to be a good songwriter. And these sisters truly are and if you see this longplayer as the enjoyable pop record it is you might understand it. This record won’t save your life but it’ll eventually make it better while listening to it. It’s about the here and now or as Sara points out: “I love the idea that we make these albums and that they feel so in the moment and modern and vibrant and relevant, and then in two years, you feel it sort of like slip away.”
You can stream the whole record now on the band’s Soundcloud. Click right here.
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