By HANNAH ELLIOTT, Robinson High
Available: Now
Grade: **, 2/5 asterisks

Canadian twins Tegan and Sara have been around awhile and are now out with their seventh album, Heartthrob. I was never very familiar with their music, but I knew about them. Something about their image and names pointed me to thinking they were a folky duo that strummed guitars and sung in whispery harmonies, but Heartthrob proved to be the exact opposite.

The sisters took on a very electro-pop sound on this album, either to experiment with a new sound or to please the masses, or both.

Tegan and Sara’s vocals are smooth and strong. Each song really showcases their voices as dominant, and it is easy to imagine hearing them in an arena setting. Their vocals have a certain smugness and effortless edge that makes this duo stand apart from the crowd in that regard.

Closer is a nostalgic, very retro bubblegum pop tune that completely altered my perception of them. Straying away from rock and folk, it reminds me of something that would be played in a teen flick set in the ’80s. Not authentic, but close enough to give the right idea.

Goodbye, Goodbye maintains the electro vibes, but is way more successful in sounding somewhat original and not like some Carly Rae Jepsen song.

As the album progresses, I can’t fathom how Tegan and Sara could ever be considered folk anymore,  because Heartthrob is electro-pop through and through. Any of these songs could be played on a hits radio station and no one would think it was out of place.

It’s as if Tegan and Sara dumbed themselves down to try to grab a young generation’s attention, so obvious in the music and in the lyrics. Though sometimes it’s fun to listen to, there is no real substance, and I can see straight through it.