Tegan and Sara
Crybaby
Mom + Pop
With ten albums and a slew of awards, Tegan and Sara continually crank out exciting pop music filled with smooth lyrics and jittery and jiggly backing sounds. I’ve never listened too closely to this team, but I would call this new disc “Power Pop Deluxe.”
The first track “I Can’t Grow Up” is a high energy pop classic with a bouncy time signature that you can pogo to. I lack the actual physical disc, so I’m covering this from a well-known streaming service that shows which tracks get the most view. The big scorer on this project is the track “Yellow.” This a moodier tune with darker emotional overtones. I’m guessing this track sits on the edge of new love, somewhere on that rocky journey of adjustment and accommodation and second guessing. But think positive, it should ultimately result in a stable situation that allows accurate planning of whose parents will see them this Christmas.
Be-bopping along, another fan favorite is “Smoking Weed Alone.” The attack is a bouncy with a snappy rhythm, and this gentle vice doesn’t deserve judgment from friends who might not really be good friends. Again, the vocals are clear and you can sing along after a few spins. There’s no need for one of these lyrics decoder sites I rely on for so many classic tracks. Now I’m floating down the Sara and Tegan lazy river, and I’ve picked the least played tune to wrap up with: “I’m OK.” Here I sense no loss of lyrical cleverness, no feeling “Oh, this is the filler track they need to qualify for some music award.” It’s just as power pop as the other tracks here, the emotions are every bit as strained, and the danceability is up to any other effort on the project. It a solid step forward on the Tegan and Sara discography.
And if I liked it, you will LOVE it.
