Openly gay Canadian twin sisters make up the indie rock/pop group Tegan and Sara who have been releasing impressive, talked-about material since their 1999 debut album. Fourteen years later, the sisters are taking their music down a different route after being featured on pop/dance tracks with respected DJs such as Tiesto and David Guetta. Their seventh studio album, Heartthrob, is a full-fledged pop experiment that showcases the girls’ beautiful vocals as they harmonize with each other perfectly on tracks that tell stories of love, heartbreak and despair. Forget what you may know about the pop genre, Tegan and Sara are changing it for the better and giving established artists a run for their money.
The ten-track album opens with the lead and current single, “Closer”, a track that shows the girls pleading to their lovers to make things a bit more physical. The song is the perfect transition from the group’s past sound to their new heavy pop material. While production may be different, the sisters’ vocals are still strong and unique as usual, the aspect listeners need to really focus on. Impressive start.
A show-stopping moment occurs on “Goodbye, Goodbye”, a song laced in 80s and 90s pop brilliance. “Goodbye goodbye, like the first time”, the sisters sing to the lovers they are trying to let go. The track is about the second chances we tend to give to people who may not deserve them. Production, vocal performances and lyrical content all come together beautifully on this emotional roller coaster of a pop gem.
“I Was A Fool” is a slow, piano-driven ballad that once again seems to take influences from the 80s pop scene. The girls are pouring their souls out, sharing all of their terrible relationship experiences and we cannot help but shed a tear for them. “Then you blamed me and blocked me out, how long did you think I’d last”, the girls sing. The song is definitely one of the album’s brightest moments.
Rumored to be the album’s second single, “I’m Not Your Hero” is a good choice for radio airplay. At times evoking the music of Katy Perry, just done ten times better, the sisters confess that they may not be the perfect partner, but they do give it their all. While the vocal delivery is some of the best on the album, here it is the instrumentals that take the song to a whole new level.
Obsession is the central theme of “Drove Me Wild”, another track that highlights the immense amount of talent the duo has when it comes to playing off each other’s energy. With pulsating supporting production, the girls confess their frustration at hitting the brakes in the middle of the perfect relationship. At times, such as the first few seconds, the songwriting got a bit cheesy, but overall the song is yet another homerun.
The mellow tone of the album gets turned down even more once “How Come You Don’t Want More” begins to play. The sisters are trying to come to terms with the fact they are not someone’s object of affection, however, that minor setback won’t kill their love. “How come you always lead me on, never take my call, hear me out”, the girls ask. There’s sorrow in their vocals, but not too evident.
As soon as “I Couldn’t Be Your Friend” starts, comparisons to Marina and the Diamonds and Regina Spektor are noticed, but Tegan and Sara are in a league of their own. We have all been stuck playing the friend role to someone when we really wanted something much more. The girls are dealing with the ordeal now. They won’t stand for playing the supporting role. Heartbreaking to say the least.
Some people seem to still believe in love at first sight. Apparently the sisters are some of those people. “Love They Say” asserts that there is nothing love can’t do, the bond is stronger than all. “The first time you kissed my lips, I knew, I was meant for you”, Tegan and Sara sing on the mid-tempo ballad-esque track. The lyrics may sound as they come from a boy band, but here they have more depth and meaning.
“Now I’m All Messed Up” is probably the slowest the album gets, sounding like a 90s Vitamin C track. Heartache is painful and the sister group really embodies the emotions that come along. There are times you must let go of the person you love, even if you do not want to. Tegan and Sara are walking down a lonely road and are tired of going through it alone. It’s a beautiful song of despair.
The album closes with “Shock to Your System”, a track that opens up louder than the rest of the cuts. The song switches between soft, vulnerable vocals on the verses, while the attitude and backing instrumentals get more empowering as it goes on. When compared to the preceding tracks, the song is a little flat. It is still a pleasant listen, just not the strongest effort to end with.
Heartthrobrepresents reinvention and experimentation for the sister group. Tegan and Sara have been hinting at a pop record for quite some time and they succeed just as they did on their past releases. The girls know how to play off one another and it shows in how beautiful their voices sound on every single track. The album deals with real love, obsession, heartbreak, blame and sex while truly showing what pop music could and should be. The production, vocals and songwriting are the best they could be and many songs will surely resonate with any listener who comes across the material. Let’s hope the album builds an audience. It receives a 92%.
Tracks to Hear: “Goodbye Goodbye”, “I Was A Fool”, “I’m Not Your Hero” and “Love They Say
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