Tegan and Sara have always been a bit of a guilty pleasure. Those hooks are just so damn catchy it’s hard to resist. With their latest release, Sainthood, the twin sisters have crafted a near-perfect indie pop album, something that has been a long time in the making. They first rose to prominence after So Jealous, which can essentially be described in one word, simple. Songs like “Walking With A Ghost” and “You Wouldn’t Like Me” alternated between verse and chorus with no more than two to three chord changes every now and then.
On Sainthood, they still have the same catchiness and simplicity that made their earlier albums enjoyable, but these songs have more to them. Now, Tegan and Sara have taken control and realized what makes them unique, which differentiates this album from any other standard indie-pop record. I saw a video recently of Sara explaining how to play “Walking With A Ghost,” and at the end of the video she says, “now just make your voice sound a little like a chipmunk and a little like Cyndi Lauper and you’re playing ‘Walking With A Ghost.’” I’m sure she would not have said that when that song was released, but now they have realized that it’s these things that make them who they are. On Sainthood, they take these oddities and make them sound fantastic. Despite all this, you still might feel a little guilty listening to it.
Recommended Tracks: Hell, On Directing, Alligator
RIYL: Metric, Rilo Kiley, Stars

-Ian Cox