Already proven formidable rockers with "Sainthood" in 2009, sisters Tegan and Sara had nothing left to prove in 2013, so they were free to do whatever they wanted. They hinted at this shift before, but not even their most ardent fans could have predicted just how deep Tegan and Sara would dig into pop. "Heartthrob", their seventh album, was introduced by lead single "Closer", which rushes in with heavy synth chords and the most successful 80s update heard yet in the 21st century. It's the kind of song that not only highlights Tegan and Sara's skills, but it also points out just how mundane the rest of pop can be. That's not all they had to do, though, since the last time they made music, pop was still centered in rock, not EDM. The shift in the mainstream meant a major overhaul in the overall sound of the Quinn sisters, but they're nothing if not smart. They chose Greg Kurstin, the master of rock to dance crossovers, as their collaborator for "Heartthrob", and they created a 36-minute, 10-track monster that might as well be a musical thesis of a relationship. "Closer" pays homage to hooking-up, while the new-wave rocker "Drove Me Wild" feasts upon unapologetic sexual scenarios. Elsewhere, the long-acquainted subject of heartbreak rears its head in the album's best tracks: "I Was A Fool" is a piano-driven ballad that thrives on an epic drum-beat, "Now I'm All Messed Up", another ballad, experiments with more electronica elements like background vocoders and ostinato drum machines. The rest of the album restlessly shifts between sounds and moods, going from the new-wave kiss-off "Goodbye, Goodbye" to "I Was a Fool", and then back to electro-rock with the single ode to individuality "I'm Not Your Hero". The first half of "Heartthrob" packs a punch so great, the second half is where problems start occur. "How Come You Don't Want Me?", a plea to reconcile, falls short in its attempt to combine indie-rock with pop, and "I Couldn't Be Your Friend", yet another break-up song, is lyrically focused but musically lacks a strong hook to bring the emotions out of the surface. The album ends on the bleak "Shock To Your System", which isn't terrible by any stretch, but its stripped-down, straightforwardness pales in comparison to the colorful indie-tronica that was established in the first half of the record. Thankfully, though, the majority of "Heartthrob" compensates for its tediousness with words that are intricately woven into these songs, feeding off of each other like all good pop should. While some lyrics fall into cliché ("Love they say it heals all wounds/removes the hurt in you", in the excellent rock ballad "Love They Say"), most often they present a syntax not at all common in pop music ("You seem like you're so restless, young at heart/who gave you reason?"). While most artists of the 2010s work tirelessly to place equal emphasis on surface pleasure and lyrical depth, Tegan and Sara have been perfecting that art for years, so most long-time fans will embrace the unabashed glossy sheen of "Heartthrob" because their musical integrity remains untouchable. It may not win many converts, but it ultimately doesn't matter, this record is a great start to 2013, hopefully the rest of the mainstream will follow suit.
Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Closer 2.
Goodbye, Goodbye 3. I Was a Fool
4. I’m Not Your Hero 5. Drove Me Wild 6. How Come You Don’t Want Me
7. I Couldn’t Be
Your Friend 8. Love They Say 9. Now I’m
All Messed Up
10. Shock to
Your System
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