Sister duo Tegan and Sara sing about the ups and down of being in a relationship
They have the same haircuts, the same hometown and the same birthday. They even have the same parents.
Canadian sister duo Tegan and Sara (last name Quin) has been making music for nearly 20 years. The identical twins began playing guitar and writing songs together at age 15, with their sound evolving from alternative folk to dance pop throughout their career.
On “Heartthrob,” which hit stores last week, the pair channels its creativity into Tegan and Sara’s most electronic disc to date, but stays true to itself with honest, witty lyrics and polished vocal harmonies.
The album kicks off with “Closer,” a synth-driven tune with a beat that would be equally suitable for a Nicki Minaj or Katy Perry track. The sisters chant “It’s not just all physical” and “I won’t treat you like you’re typical” with the bouncy electronic instrumentals while the repetitiveness of the song is more trance-inducing than annoying.
On track two, “Goodbye, Goodbye,” the tone of the lyrics changes as the duo belts out a break-up song, but the danceable quality is still there. Very few singers can make a line like “You never really loved me” sound like more of a sassy kiss-off than a tearful plea.
“I Was a Fool,” the album’s third track, echoes some of Tegan and Sara’s older songs as the sisters croon over a slower, piano-heavy pulse.
Some tunes on “Heartthrob” sound like they’d be found on a 1980s rock ‘n’ roll station. Others are more tribal with simple drum beats and the girls’ vocals mimicking chanting.
The ten song collection plays to listeners’ emotional ups and downs. The Quin sisters wear many different masks throughout the course of the album, from playful flirting and the beginnings of new romance to hard-to-handle betrayal and cheating partners.
The sisters work so well together that it’s difficult to figure out who is singing which vocal line. The background “oohs” and “aahs” are lovely, but the songwriting is at its best when there are double meanings hidden in the mix. For example, on the ninth track, “Now I’m All Messed Up,” the chorus of “Go if you want to, I can’t stop you” is layered over a continuous loop of “Please stay.”
Both Tegan and Sara are openly gay, but music fans of any sexual orientation can relate to the themes in the sisters’ tunes. The use of feminine pronouns is so subtle that those who didn’t know the singers were lesbians probably wouldn’t even notice on the first listen.
“Heartthrob” is a major departure from Tegan and Sara’s more folk sound on past albums like 2007’s “The Con,” but the fundamental ingredients that make the duo’s songs work are still there: unforgettable choruses, catchy instrumental hooks and uncanny vocal chemistry.
If the Quin sisters can use the same songwriting formula and tackle another genre so successfully, they’ll likely be churning out hits for years to come.
Tegan and Sara are touring Canada, the Midwestern United States and Australia this spring. More tour stops will be announced soon.