T & S, not T & A

Tegan & Sara
"The Con"
(Vapor)

Like Fall Out Boy, Lupe Fiasco, and R. Kelly, Tegan and Sara are the victims of early leakage for their latest record, "The Con." How does it shape up compared to 2004's insanely good "So Jealous?" Well....

Employing Death Cab For Cutie's producer/guitarist/keyboardist/co-writer Chris Walla brings a bit of a stylistic change to Tegan and Sara's typically peppy brand of powerpop. Even at "So Jealous'" somber moments, the songs were still really catchy and clap-friendly. "The Con" finds the duo still churning out the powerpop, albeit in a darker tone.

The record opens with "I Was Married" a bare bones keyboard jam and a rally for Gay marriage, which quickly segues into "Relief Next to Me" which, as hooky as it is, sets the morose tone for the album. "Are You Ten Years Ago" showcases the band's Postal Service moments as syncopated electronic drums bang behind the sisters' overlapping vocals. "Back In Your Head" sounds like a lost song by The Cars.

There are mid-tempo songs dispersed throughout the tracklist to break up some of the Quin Sisters faster tunes, but for the most part, "The Con" is a consistent album. While it's not as instantly grabbing as "So Jealous," the synth-heavy record will grow on you over time. If you didn't like Tegan and Sara to begin with, you may not care about picking up "The Con," but if you're a fan like me, then you'll no doubt go out of your way to buy, even if you downloaded it.