Tegan and Sara : Releases >>

Information provided by Amazon.ca

The Con (W/Bonus Dvd) (Dlx Ed) >>

It's hard to follow up the record that made you famous. For many artists, that's their first album, and the disappointing results are termed the "sophomore slump." Luckily, Tegan and Sara's star-making Juno-nominated album, So Jealous, was their fourth--and their fifth album, The Con, not only avoids any kind of slump but sets a new bar of quality quite high. While both a darker and quirkier album than the near-perfect heartbreak pop of So Jealous, The Con skillfully packs its instant hooks in so tight, virtually every line becomes the one you want to sing along to--and the twins' lyrics aren't your typical pop pabulum. Layer upon layer of tasty ear candy coat considered sentiments like "Nobody likes to but I really like to cry," "I felt you in my legs before I ever met you," and "Maybe I would have been something you'd be good at"--lyrics that feel honest and add an emotional urgency and depth rarely heard on the radio. However, the biggest leap Tegan and Sara made on this record was not the lyrical content, but how the album itself was created. The switch to coproducing with indie superstar Christopher Walla (Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie) is apparent, and part of what gives this record its distinctive and innovative touch. From the odd structure of "I Was Married" to the thumping electronica of "Are You Ten Years Ago," The Con reverberates with unabashed creativity, and it's a rare pleasure to hear it done so well. I would be surprised if another band this year made a better record--it's really that good. A special bonus for fans: don't shy away from this deluxe edition--it includes a DVD with a feature-length intimate documentary on the making of the album, offering a lot of insight into their creative process. --Alan Wiley

So Jealous >>

Three albums into Tegan & Sara's career, it's still somehow necessary to get a couple of facts about them out of the way before diving into their latest offering. They are, yes, identical twin lesbians, and they do occupy the space--more like a vacuum, really--between the riot-grrl menace of Sleater-Kinney and the un-fun folk of Indigo Girls. That out of the way, So Jealous is the duo's best disc yet, meriting more than the mainstream notice that has so far evaded it. All the components are in place: a beyond synthy, full-throttle band, including John Collins and David Carswell of New Pornographers, and songwriting so honest as to make a person--any person--check to make sure no one has been snooping in her diary ("I won't mistake you for problems with me/I won't let my moods ruin this you'll see," from "I Won't Be Left"). The vibe is early-80s pop-punky (Tegan & Sara's singing can sound like Missing Persons' minus the squeals) spiked with a rock'n'roll edge--if the title track were noisier, it might sound at home on a Yeah Yeah Yeahs disc. Destined for hugeness, if only in indie circles for now, Tegan & Sara provide something crucial for pop princesses to be So Jealous of, and that's genuine talent. --Tammy La Gorce

The Con >>

It's hard to follow up the record that made you famous. For many artists, that's their first album, and the disappointing results are termed the "sophomore slump." Luckily, Tegan and Sara's star-making Juno-nominated album, So Jealous, was their fourth--and their fifth album, The Con, not only avoids any kind of slump but sets a new bar of quality quite high. While both a darker and quirkier album than the near-perfect heartbreak pop of So Jealous, The Con skillfully packs its instant hooks in so tight, virtually every line becomes the one you want to sing along to--and the twins' lyrics aren't your typical pop pabulum. Layer upon layer of tasty ear candy coat considered sentiments like "Nobody likes to but I really like to cry," "I felt you in my legs before I ever met you," and "Maybe I would have been something you'd be good at"--lyrics that feel honest and add an emotional urgency and depth rarely heard on the radio. However, the biggest leap Tegan and Sara made on this record was not the lyrical content, but how the album itself was created. The switch to coproducing with indie superstar Christopher Walla (Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie) is apparent, and part of what gives this record its distinctive and innovative touch. From the odd structure of "I Was Married" to the thumping electronica of "Are You Ten Years Ago," The Con reverberates with unabashed creativity, and it's a rare pleasure to hear it done so well. I would be surprised if another band this year made a better record--it's really that good. A special bonus for fans: don't shy away from the deluxe edition of this album--it includes a DVD with a feature-length intimate documentary on the making of the album, offering a lot of insight into their creative process. --Alan Wiley

This Business Of Art >>

Signed to Neil Young's Vapor imprint on the strength of a handful of songs, Calgary folk twins Tegan and Sara Quin seemed fast-tracked for pop stardom before their debut album even dropped. The brittle, snappy This Business of Art was produced by Toronto cabaret chameleon Hawksley Workman and sticks tight to the Ani DiFranco agit-folk template. Frantic strumming is paired in three-minute bursts with the duo's half-sung/half-rapped lyrics, while Workman and pal Karl Mohr fill in the blanks. It's a supremely confident big-label debut, but like DiFranco's music, a bit hollow beyond the initial flash of energy. The songwriting is strong but also somewhat underdeveloped and gimmicky, and given the pyrotechnics lurking behind the board, you can't help but wish that Workman had done more to dress up the songs themselves. --Matt Galloway

Tegan and Sara : Releases >>

The Con (W/Bonus Dvd) (Dlx Ed) >>

So Jealous >>

The Con >>

This Business Of Art >>

This Business of Art >>

If It Was You >>

So Jealous >>

So Jealous >>

Walking With a Ghost >>

This Business of Art >>