Tegan and Sara switch gears in their sound, but the resulting album is disappointing.
When I first started listening to Tegan and Sara’s new album “Sainthood,” I had high expectations — their past albums have featured a huge variety between the tracks, spanning different emotions and experiences with their unique sound and lyrics. The first sounds on the album were new and different from past songs on past albums, and I was excited to hear the rest of the highly-anticipated tracks.
I was disappointed.
It’s not that “Sainthood” is a bad album — not at all. It’s just not as good as the previous albums the pair has created. In a sense, they set their own standard too high, and “Sainthood” doesn’t quite reach expectations.
At times, it seems as if they are trying too hard to fit into certain song genres, yet at other times it sounds as if they are trying too hard to break the conventional song molds. Some of the backbeats and synthesizers used in a few of the tracks don’t fit with the words being sung or the emotion attempting to shine through, and others are simply annoying. The variety among the songs allows each listener to find at least a few tracks that they enjoy, but also leaves room for disappointment with the rest.
“Hell,” the duo’s first single off “Sainthood,” is a strong way to introduce the album. The sound is more mainstream, most likely a reason for releasing it as the single, but the feel of the song is perfect. You can’t listen to it without tapping along with the beat, and the chorus gets stuck in your head as soon as you hear it the first time through. It’s catchy, it’s upbeat and it makes the album sound good; I can see why it’s the single.
Another unique track on the new album is “The Ocean.” It feels like a heartfelt ballad, but strung up with a heavier, more upbeat sound. There exists a strong contrast between the lyrics and the music, and by the end of the song, the combination of both makes sense.
I was confused by “On Directing,” a relatively simple tune on “Sainthood.” It sounds like a good song, albeit a bit repetitive and monotonous by the end, but it never seems to take off. The song could explode into a huge medley of the twins’ intense vocals with equally intense backing instrumentals, but it seems to be wary of really going anywhere.
“Sentimental Tune,” as the title suggests, is the quiet and more emotional track on the album. Tegan and Sara poke fun at the requirement of at least one “sentimental” song on every album, but their teasing results in a real hit. It’s one of the simplest songs on the album but definitely helps to illustrate that sometimes the simple things really are the best. Their second-to-last track on the album helps to save the album from being a total bust, and still sounds great even after a few plays on repeat.
Despite some problems with other aspects of the new album, the lyrics of “Sainthood” are just as good as always. This was the first album in a decade in which the two twins wrote the majority of the songs together: the result is a success. Even if the music behind the words isn’t always perfect, the lyrics themselves capture the listener’s attention and tell a moving story, paint a vivid image, or reveal a hidden emotion of the singers.
Overall, “Sainthood” is a good album. But good is not what Tegan and Sara are truly capable of — they’re capable of creating amazing music. While some tracks are reminiscent of their better past albums, many fall short of their potential. I give the pair some credit for experimenting with new sounds and techniques, but I’m a fan of their classic hits — I want the old Tegan and Sara back.
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