Leading indie ladies fall short

“Heartthrob,”  Tegan and Sara’s seventh studio release strips everything from the twin sisters’ voices that makes them interesting.

The quirky timbres of their voices are swallowed and lost in the synths and basses of an album that strays far from their usual acoustic endeavors. On past albums, their voices mingled in a brilliant and odd way, but every track on “Heartthrob” finds one or both sisters disappearing into the background. Their voices seem smoothed over, devoid of their standard eccentricities.

The songs suffer most from immature and shallow lyrics that depend too much on clichés and universal themes. Unfortunately many current artists’ attempts to achieve universality result in vague, inaccessible and unmoving songs. Tegan and Sara’s songs are limited by the fact that they are too open and too familiar. “Drove Me Wild” and “Shock to Your System” — misleadingly titled — are two of many bland, forgettable tracks plagued by clunky lyrics.

Many songs begin promisingly, especially those with echoing piano introductions, but neither follow through nor swell to a moment of interest. There are no riveting movements. The few songs with energy would stand a chance at being interesting if only the lyrics weren’t so empty and lazy.

Generally the songs follow one after another like an endless pity parade. Break-up albums, while not rare, can still be very valuable, but if they are to stand out from the many weepy albums circulating the globe, they must explore deeper questions than “How Come You Don’t Want Me” and dispense ancient sentiments like “there’s nothing love can’t do.” This album would have benefited from an evolving story arc but barely shifted from a single stage of sadness.

In an interview about the new album, Sarah Keirsten Quin told Rolling Stone, “I love the idea that we make these albums, and that they feel so in the moment and modern and vibrant and relevant, and then in two years, you feel it sort of like slip away.”  The album definitely lacks staying power and will likely slip away before Sara’s two-year mark.

All in all, “Heartthrob” is half-hearted. It won’t drag anyone to the dance floor, but kudos, I guess.They definitely have potential within the electronic genre, but this album failed to showcase their distinctive voices and usually perceptive lyrics.