Album Review: Tegan & Sara - Love You To Death

Tegan & Sara were never a pure indie-rock band, but guitars played a major part in their work for a long, long time.

With their pop tendencies becoming more obvious two records ago on 2009's Sainthood, then being pushed to their limit on 2013's Heartthrob, that limit is now a distant speck of shattered debris in their rear-view mirror with the unabashed synth-pop of Love You To Death.

In the press notes, Tegan Quin is quoted as saying the record is about "how debilitating and transformative" relationships can be. The fact that you can hear that beneath the bubblegum sounds and production is proof of just how strong these songs are, and how effectively Love You To Death delivers on Tegan & Sara's intentions. Even when the layers of synth are stripped bare for a piano ballad like 100x, this is '80s era overproduction the way it should be.

At just 35, these Canadian twins already have almost 20 years of making music completely on their own terms under the belts. Love You To Death is clear justification of their fans' anticipation. A throwback to the chart toppers of their childhood, and a totally fresh take on pop at the same time, Tegan & Sara continue to grow as songwriters, making genre twists like this as intriguing as they are purely enjoyable.