For the past decade, Tegan and Sara have made music that provokes immense emotion from gripping, heartfelt lyrics, but they have failed to garner the audiences needed to sell out the large stadiums. It appears that with their seventh studio album, Heartthrob, they may finally emerge from under the radar and appeal to the masses. The album features their most energized tracks to date and prove to have enough power and radio friendly hooks to make them catchy beyond the indie market.
The first thing that will be recognized by die hard fans will be the replacement of the groups signature guitar-heavy riffs for a more electronica pop sound. With sixth previous albums filled with slower, stripped down acoustic songs, it’s definitely the largest switch in music this group has made. They jointly decided to bring a different feel to their music this time around in order to appeal to individuals that may not have had a chance to hear what they are all about yet. One thing the group has failed to change is the very personal heartbroken and desperate lyrics that have carried messages to fans for years. The songs on this album show that radio play doesn’t just have to carry mindless messages.
The opening track for the album “Closer” proves that there’s a lot to like about the new sound. It focuses on the duo’s usual harmonized vocals and unorthodox melodies while adding several synth and electronic beats. This track was originally released in September and has already shown to get some of the most play the band’s seen mainstream. The club ready beats make it easily transferable to a party while the thought out lyrics make it comforting in a personal setting.
Another strong track on the album is “I Was A Fool” and it marks a milestone in their full pop transformation. This song differs from “Closer” because this is not a party track, but instead the type of song one sways and whispers the lyrics to at a concert. The diversity in tracks off the album offers a wide range of choices for almost every individual, which separates it from the generic club oriented pop collections nowadays.
It may have taken 10 years for Tegan and Sara to develop their sound in the newest album Heartthrob, but they have matured enough to know meaningful lyrics and catchy beats are the key to offering fans the whole package.
Grade: B+
