Tegan and Sara are the newest artists to join the ranks of artists greatly experimenting with their sound. The Canadian Indie Pop duo is trying their hand at Synthpop in their latest album “Love You to Death” which is indeed quite a departure from their usual indie pop sound.
Tegan and Sara have always been on my Indie pop sweet spot - catchy hooks, beats driven, simple memorable lyrics - without being borderline obvious or cheesy. That’s what I like my Indie Pop to be doing. With, “Love You to Death” they have made a smooth transition to a more refreshing Tegan and Sara, and I can’t say I mind that. So we have the most important track in the tracklist - “Boyfriend” putting its foot down and establishing that they are ready to experiment.
While the album is peppered with songs with peppy music and heavy 80s influences - there are songs like “White knuckles” which might be more familiar to the quintessential Tegan and Sara audience - which makes the transition less in your face.
And, here’s a taste of the classic Tegan and Sara to help you compare -
The thing with genre-experimentation is that it is quite akin to walking on eggshells for artists, and though however much it might help an artist grow there are always risks involved. Audience acceptance, positioning of the band and competition - there are a million things that need to be considered and that can go awry. For now, the band might have impressed their audience but how the band chooses to progress in future might have a huge impact on their career paths.
The other great thing about this album is - we get a video for every song - now that is a treat!
If you ask me to choose which Tegan and Sara I prefer - I’m a sucker for 80s music, and I wouldn’t mind the occasional 80s treat. But there is a big Tegan and Sara sized void in my heart that can be filled by the classic Tegan and Sara only. For 80’s I can always head to Chvrches and they will remain my first choice.
Verdict’s out on “Love You To Death” and the weather seems quite hopeful. Time for your next move, girls?
