Tegan and Sara are known for their sassy lyrics, but their newest album, Heartthrob, which was released on Tuesday, takes the band a step further, adding an energetic beat and new, shiny instruments to their insightful lyrics. This album marks the band’s crucial transition from indie rock music towards more of a mainstream sound.
It is a far more cohesive album than any of the duo’s past albums. The songs all either have to do with being in love, being heartbroken or somewhere in between, and they all have a consistent, energetic sound. Tegan and Sara have come a long way from singing songs about walking with ghosts with very few instruments in the background. Greg Kurstin, who produced Ke$ha’s newest album, also produced Heartthrob, and gives it a more mainstream sound that carries listeners through the ups and downs of love and loss.
Heartthrob opens with “Closer,” which is one of, if not the best of all the songs they’ve ever written. The dance beats are contagious and reminiscent of what a high school crush feels like. There’s a teenage-like inflection at the end of each line, almost as if they’re about to play Spin the Bottle or get asked to the prom. The song is a perfect opener of the album, as it brings the listeners emotionally closer to the music. Pretty much anyone can relate to “all I’m dreaming lately is how to get you underneath me.”
The album then continues with more love songs, though the next few are either about relationships that didn’t work or ones that never happened. The sad songs, such as “Goodbye, Goodbye” are bolstered by the perky synth in the background, suggesting it is okay to be sad but also dance after a breakup. The second best song of the album, however, is “Now I’m All Messed Up,” which is towards the end of the album. The song starts with a quiet, but heartbreaking verse, sighing that “you’ll leave me anyway,” and builds up to a very passionate chorus. The absolute best part of the song is the end, when Tegan and Sara alternate lyrics with one of them crying “go, go, go if you want, I can’t stop you” while the other is begging the person to “please stay.” Those lyrics are repeated so many times that by the end of the song the listener empathizes with Tegan and Sara’s pain. It’s hard enough to get songs themselves to sound good, but it takes real talent for songwriters to be able to so effectively connect with the listeners.
“I’m Not Your Hero” and “How Come You Don’t Want Me Now” are a more improved version of their old albums, with the catchy lyrics reminiscient of older albums, but with a stronger sound. “I’m Not Your Hero” has a chorus that’s very easy to sing along to and will stay stuck in your head for hours. “How Come You Don’t Want Me Now” is all about experiencing rejection, and its chorus also has the potential to become an anthem to be sung over and over again. Everyone has wondered at some point “how come you don’t want me now.”
This album is so good that there really aren’t any bad songs. “Love They Say” has lyrics that are a little bit too cheesy and not as upbeat as the rest of the album. It’s not a song that one might want to listen to over and over again unless they are hopelessly in love (“the first time you kissed my lips, I knew I was meant for you”.) However, this provides a balance against some of the more depressing songs in the album.
The album ends with the song “Shock to the System,” which is very appropriately named, as the album itself is a shock to the system. Tegan and Sara were pretty good before, but Heartthrob gave them a revamped sound that should leave listeners with no doubt that Tegan and Sara are just going to keep getting better.
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