The Con is like my favorite summer drink, a Mojito — it’s clean, crisp and full of zest, and it packs a whallop of catchy tunes and insightful lyrics. Songs boasting lyrics such as "I felt you in my legs before I ever met you," and "Maybe I would have been something you'd be good at" are full of honesty and relatable passion.
The fact that twin sisters Tegan and Sara Quin co-produced the CD with Christopher Walla (Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie) is yet another factor that immediately becomes apparent in the music. There are also glimmers of Imogen Heap and Gwen Stefani floating in the songs, but only in so much as to try to compare the music to something, anything familiar, because otherwise this CD is completely o.rig.in.al.
Tracks include the upbeat, techno-rock and snappy, such as “The Con,” “Back In Your Head,” “Are You Ten Years Ago,” “Hop A Plane,” “Burn Your Life Down,” and “Dark Come Soon”. More raw rock can be heard in both “Nineteen” and “Knife Going In,” and “Like O, Like h” is utterly eclectic. My favorites of the bunch are “Relief Next To Me,” “I Was Married,” “Soil, Soil,” and “Floorplan,” all blending electronic twang to great results.
The Con may be all over the place for some people, as it combines the sounds of bright piano, swirling electric and acoustic guitars, thumping basslines, and a steel guitar here and there, all to create a mix of bright dancepop, mellow piano ballads, bouncy melodies and soulful acoustics. Luckily, I’m not some people.
There are two ways to approach The Con — pure indie pop listening pleasure, and moody melancholy beneath the surface of bright sounds. For those who want something light and bright to listen to, The Con is it. And for those who are drawn to stories and their tellers, Tegan and Sara are your gals.
Article comments
1 - Connie Phillips
Congrats! This article has been forwarded to the Advance.net websites and Boston.com.
2 - Sheri
Tegan and Sara are dreamy!