album of the week: 11.3

Tegan And Sara

Sainthood

Sire (2009)

why you'll like it: Intelligent fast paced pop tunes

why you'll hate it: repetitive, disposable

It's really easy to get wrapped up in the superficial side of Tegan And Sara, and write them off entirely. They do appear to be the darling of empty headed hipsters and do-nothing activists. Well, scenes are all cesspools I checked out of years ago, and I've become content with Tegan And Sara. They're clever and know how to make a really exciting and catchy two-minute song.

Clever, catchy, and fast paced. Tegan And Sara do what they do best on this album. While I found their experimental side in The Con to be more satisfying, this is probably the album old school If It Was You fans have been waiting for - a much more impulsive sound. This is also a great album for newbies, as it briefly touches on all of the duo's strengths.

This album shares a lot in common with Absolute Polysics. The album has a collection of strong songs, but they don't quite come together like an album should. In this case, the songs feel a bit incomplete, as if you're only given the middle of them. There are no real build ups or big changes in the melody. It's a simple straightforward number to give you that catchy buzz, then bam, on to the next... The songs are also a bit overproduced for my taste.

There is one bad song on this album - "On Directing" It has terrible lyrics and is too repetitive. Throw that track out. Aside from that, get that stupid image out of your head that this is music for airhead feminists in Starbucks. It's good stuff.