It is an understatement to say that twin sisters Tegan and Sara Quin are underrated. Although they have seen some mild success in Canada, scoring a fair amount of airplay with 2004's “Walking with a Ghost” (not to mention a cover by the White Stripes) and 2007's "Back in Your Head," they have received little mainstream attention where, let's be honest, it really counts: America, fuck yeah. I could go ahead and hypothesize that it is because, in the pre-Obama days of intolerance and financial affluence, the music industry simply could not fathom a couple of folk-rock twin lesbians. They're lesbians, dammit! All those lyrics about love refer to the sacrilegious love between two vaginas!
However, I do not believe this to be the case. A listen to 2004's So Jealous is a hook-filled, pop-happy experience. Considering that those with the main purchasing power in the music industry are teenage girls (apparently they still buy albums), there is no reason why they would not have devoured Tegan and Sara at the time. Songs like "Speak Slow" actually are akin to a Kelly Clarkson number. Also, after perusing the myspace profiles of numerous (thousands?) American teenage females, I can safely say that they are open to dabbling in homosexuality (or at least some attention-grabbing form thereof). What really has stood in the way of their success is the difference between them and Kelly Clarkson.
Kelly Clarkson can write a solid empowering pop-rock number. Even I enjoy "Since U Been Gone," despite the text message-trendy spelling of its title. Even Pitchfork digs the song, considering it to be one of the top tracks of the decade. Oh wait, Clarkson didn't write the song. It was in fact written by Max Martin and the ominous Dr. Luke, two men who are responsible for writing some of the greatest songs in history, rivaling only this song. Suddenly a song about triumphantly overcoming your ex-boyfriend and then going shopping or something is less empowering.
Tegan and Sara write their own songs. Yes, they are lesbians. They won a competition in their native Calgary, unfortunately entitled Band Warz (what, no Mountain Dew sponsorhip?), at the age of 17 and received considerable attention as a result, eventually leading to a stint opening for Neil Young. On that Neil Young tour, the twins traveled to each gig by Greyhound bus. Now that's empowering.
The twins certainly could have toured opening for Avril Lavigne or a similar pop-punk tinged star, but instead opted to open for the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, The Killers, Ryan Adams, and Gogol Bordello. Yes, these are all highly reputable acts that certainly gained more notoriety for the Quin sisters, but keeping in mind that these opening slots were in support of the more pop-rock oriented So Jealous, they could have easily been propelled to stardom had they opened for someone more like Lavigne or even the aforementioned Clarkson.
So, I believe the real reason that Tegan and Sara have not had too much mainstream success is not a matter of their sexual orientation, but simply because they did not want to achieve that type of success—or at least not on any one's terms but their own.
After 2007's magnificent album The Con, Tegan and Sara have become more of a household name, especially in indie-rock circles. The album marks a great leap forward in regards to their sound, undoubtedly at the behest of producer and Death Cab for Cutie member Chris Walla. Many of the tracks are layered with multiple keyboards, guitars, and complex percussion. On top of that, the songs themselves are well-written, well-constructed, and well-delivered, which can only be credited to the sisters themselves.
I had high hopes for recently released album Sainthood. Although I repressed a doubt in regards to whether Tegan and Sara could repeat the bliss of The Con, I did not expect Sainthood to stray so far from the sound of its predecessor. Opening track "Arrow," with its layers of synth, distorted guitar, acoustic guitar, and start-stop rhythm actually acts to bridge the gap from The Con to Sainthood. As I initially listened to this track, I was pacified by the premature belief that Sainthood would stay the course.
Unfortunately, second track "Don't Rush" quashed that belief. Ditto for third track and lead single "Hell." Though I do recognize the obvious traits that make "Hell" a good song and an excellent single, it is the type of jumpy pop-rock that I associate with earlier T&S releases that simply do not appeal to me. From this point on, the album lacks any song I would consider notable, perhaps with the exception of "Northshore," which still possesses the aforementioned pop-rock jump, but the accelerated vocal delivery causes it to stand out, and "Night Watch," with its scale-splicing synth line.
The album is still an enjoyable listen, but a less thought-provoking and emotive one than The Con.
