Music review: Tegan and Sara refine their pop sound

Although Tegan and Sara’s 2013 LP, Heartthrob, featured plenty of the sisters’ usual piercing emotional insights, its plusher sonic cushion (bubblegum beats, luxurious keyboards and retro production) was a marked departure from their stripped-down folk-rock. With producer Greg Kurstin (Sia, Ellie Goulding) at the helm, follow-up Love You to Death continues down this full-on synth-pop path.

Love You to Death leads off with ‘That Girl’, an airy and youthful song about love, sets the tone for the rest of the record. The album sticks to a common musical theme but definitely hits a few high notes.

The third track, “Boyfriend” brings an upbeat, synth-pop chorus and tells the story of a closeted love triangle that Sara was stuck in. “I let you take advantage cause it felt so good,” she sings. “Boyfriend” is rightfully the album’s lead single—while Katy Perry and Lady Gaga have famously sung about experimenting with other women, the song brings an opposite perspective on a social issue that has been absent from popular music.

Between mid-tempo ballads like “White Knuckles” and “Hang on to the Night,” Tegan and Sara throw in the pop-rock jams that made mainstream radio fall in love with them. “Stop Desire” is one of these standouts, and the duo does an excellent job maintaining a pounding drum beat while building towards a powerful chorus.

Love You to Death features the talent of producer Greg Kurstin, responsible for Adele’s record-breaking hit “Hello.” Kurstin worked a little on Heartthrob, but really shines through on Tegan and Sara’s new album. His experience as a pianist is evident in the seventh track, “100x.” The song uses the power of elongated piano chords to evoke pressing emotion. Tegan and Sara’s vocals sit on the border between haunting and relieved, while the lyrics convey the unhappiness of someone stuck in an unwanted relationship.

Tegan and Sara bring back the sunshine with “U-turn.” Perhaps the most definitive song on the album, “U-turn” delivers their most dynamic melodies accompanied by thick layers of synth. The track’s heavy hitting beats and an in-your-face chorus rival any Taylor Swift breakup song but bleeds true positivity in its lyrical repentance of affection towards a significant other.

The music of this duo has steadily evolved with the curve of alternative music, and although Love You to Death is another step toward mainstream pop, it still finds a way to stand out. Tegan and Sara prove with this album that they can bend genres just as well as they can bend genders (see “Boyfriend” music video).

Agencies/Canadajournal