Tegan & Sara : Heartthrob
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Tegan & Sara : Heartthrob

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It’s hard to critique the seventh album from Canada’s most famous twins, Tegan & Sara. An explosion of ’80s-tinged dance pop, Heartthrob is a clear step away from the girls’ acoustic comfort zone but it does seem to work. And it’s not a huge surprise, given their recent team-ups with DJ superstars Tiesto and David Guetta. The problem is, while it is crisp, well-produced and catchy as hell, will this unashamed embrace of pop drive their original fans away?

Vocally, Heartthrob smoothes out what had become a trademark quirk and in only a few tracks is it still apparent. More often, their sound is more like Swedish dance pop stars Roxette (check out I Was A Fool for a real Listen To Your Heart flashback) or Robyn. Synthesisers play a key part in this album’s sound; couple this with the unshakable hooks Tegan & Sara have mastered over the years and you have an album that ticks all the boxes for commercial success.

First single and album opener, Closer, is already at over three million YouTube views and it’s safe to say will be one of the most infectious choruses of the year. On the slower side of the record, How Come You Don’t Want Me and Love They Say, continues the girls’ thorough exploration of the ups and downs of love (a common theme through Tegan & Sara’s discography) in what could possibly be the closest link to their acoustic sound of yesteryear.

As a pop record, there’s not much to fault on Heartthrob. For die-hard fans of the former indie pop favourites, it may be harder to swallow. Essentially, what makes Tegan & Sara so great is still there – you just have to push through a few more layers of synth to find it these days. 

BY JEN WILSON

Best Track: Closer

If You Like These, You’ll Like This: ROBYN, THE VERONICAS, ROXETTE

In A Word: Synth-tastic