Tegan & Sara occupy a precarious niche in commercial music — they aren’t mainstream but neither are they alt, hipster, post-funk or any other of the slew of labels available to musicians today. They stand suspended in the limbo of contemporary music — indie pop at a time when indie pop is said to be dead. And even though they have sold out shows in New York, the person next to you probably hasn’t heard of them. The band, comprised of identical twin sisters Tegan and Sara Quin, have gone through yet another year of musical limbo with the release of their seventh album, Heartthrob.
Listening to some of the most popular songs from their past few albums, it is hard not to marvel at the endless romantic strife that seems to pervade their music. Tegan and Sara’s lyrics are bittersweet odes to lost loves and mishandled relationships, often resentful and accusatory. Their angst pop, combined with the idiosyncratic rapport between the two singers’ voices, results in an oddly compelling series of post-breakup anthems.
Although Heartthrob retains much of the band’s typical themes, it is a distinctly different sound for the duo. The album takes on an ‘80s feel, reminiscent of leg warmers, big hair and prom night dance pop. Tegan & Sara leave no memories unturned in the album, with songs such as “Goodbye, Goodbye” and “How Come You Don’t Want Me Now.” But unlike much of their previous work, the songs on Heartthrob attack angst with a drink in hand. “Closer,” the first single off the album, is the kind of song that makes you want to throw fitful dance parties in your living room.
The change in sound is not wholly abrupt, as the band has shown previous interest in the house and electronic dance music genres, having collaborated with Tiësto and Morgan Page. But Heartthrob isn’t the club step music of today, nor is it retro synth and bass. It’s total indie-pop: pop that knows it’s a little cheesy but still different.
After 14 years, Tegan & Sara show a pointed interest in going mainstream. Heartthrob is the closest the duo has ever been to popular sounds, with a publicity push for this album greater than for any before. The album moves the sisters in a new direction, even while recalling the angry nostalgia and girly love songs that marked their previous work. It makes you dance and cry, but it doesn’t tire you out, and that’s the best part.
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