Tegan and Sara - Heartthrob

Released: January 29, 2013

Purchased: Some time in 2013 from Amazon MP3, when it was on sale for $2

First Thoughts: I've always really liked this one. I had heard of Tegan and Sara before, but never heard them, not being much of a rock fan. (I still haven't managed to listen to any of their other albums. Oop.) I group it in with Ellie Goulding's Lights and Nicola Roberts' Cinderella's Eyes as slightly left-of-center, arty, but still radio-friendly pop.

Playthrough:

Closer - I believe this is their biggest hit to date? Understandably so. It is a bit of a choon, though not as high-octane as it could be. I'd like to hear an Almighty-style remix of it. (I have the limited edition, stupidly expensive 12", and all the mixes are dubstep and shit.) It's really catchy and sort of an '80s throwback, but not in the obvious way a lot of recent-ish songs are.

Goodbye Goodbye - This keeps up the tempo and the mood of Closer. Even though it's a breakup song, it's quite energetic and even happy - the careless "fuck you, I'm too pretty for this" sort of breakup song, rather than a sad or angry one.

I Was a Fool - Whoa, the tempo drops way down on this one. It's a beautiful song, though not one that really keeps me coming back like the first two, and badly positioned on the album since it interrupts that energy. That being said, the lyrics are heartbreaking and wonderful.

I'm Not Your Hero - A very good song about keeping your expectations for someone realistic. This would have followed on marvelously from Goodbye Goodbye sound-wise. I wouldn't have chosen it as a single, but it's not bad or anything.

Drove Me Wild - The closest we get to a real banger on here. It would have been a great single. I like to imagine driving down a highway on a nice sunny early-summer day listening to this with the top down or the sunroof open (regrettably, my car is not a convertible, nor does it have a sunroof) and a special someone in the passenger seat. Actually, better for them to be driving and me to be the passenger. Yeah.

How Come You Don't Want Me Now - If Goodbye is the carefree breakup song and Fool is the sad one, this is the angry, sort of spiteful one. The sound stands in contrast to those lyrics, though - it's just as sing-along-able as Closer/Goodbye/Wild. Very Icona Pop, actually, only with totally different production obvi.

I Couldn't Be Your Friend - One of the less memorable songs on the album. The lyrics are about a relatable (especially for me) situation, but don't quite hit home the way Fool does.

Love They Say - This is kind of sad for me, because I associate it with my troubled relationship with my ex, and how in love with her I was ("The first time I saw your face, I knew that I was meant for you"). It's about that kind of relationship - challenging but still loving - and how it can still grow and flourish, and in that way it's a great counterpart to the breakup songs. Musically, it's one of my favorites. The verses are lovely, and it's impossible to not pay attention to it when that chorus comes in.

Now I'm All Messed Up - This definitely sounds like the start of the coda to the album. I never really remember it past the chorus, but it's serviceable.

Shock to Your System - This couldn't have served as anything but the last track on the album (at least the standard version). It's quite basic and fades into the background, as opposed to the attention-grabbing Closer/Goodbye/Wild/Say. I don't even remember anything about it beyond "you got a shock to your system" and the closing "what you are is lonely."

Final verdict: It suffers a little bit from sameyness, but it's still really enjoyable. Very much a spring or autumn album. I really hope they develop and continue to go in this direction for their next album, because if they fixed the flaws here they could give us something really incredible. Let's say 8/10.

Highlight: Closer is my real favorite, because despite being a little insubstantive, it's so easy to listen to, but since everybody knows that one: Love They Say.