Tegan and Sara. If you’re a woman in the 17 to 24 age demographic, these are names you likely know well. Their mixture of bright piano notes and low acoustic guitars are a staple of the “Grey’s Anatomy” soundtrack, a show whose first season alone contained six tracks from their 2004 release, “So Jealous.”
In their latest musical effort, “The Con,” similar sounds of gentle, relaxing tunes will please long-time fans and no doubt litter the soundtrack of the upcoming fourth season of “Grey’s Anatomy.”
It is this aspect of Tegan and Sara — their wholehearted devotion to melancholic harmony — that has led some reviewers to cast them aside as simple “tampon rock.” At times, it can be difficult to deny such accusations. Tracks like “Back in Your Head,” though catchy, could easily be mistaken for Gwen Stefani songs.
But like the television drama that so prominently featured the duo, the back-and-forth “he likes her, she dumps him” babble merely serves as a lightning rod for audiences in our sex-driven culture. What keeps fans listening are the undertones, the currents of genuine emotion, and the frustrating notion that we may be wasting our lives when we could become so much more.
This phobia of following a set path toward worthlessness and decay is where “The Con” gets its name.
Maybe it’s because they’re lesbians, or maybe it’s simply because they’re more intelligent than your average musician, but the themes on this disc transcend plain boy-girl relationship drama to reach a level of confused disillusionment. What’s more, this confusion revolves not around the ties binding people together, but the practical necessities that serve as roadmaps for so many of our lives.
The real value of this album is for those wandering souls. It’s a conscious scheme on the part of the musicians: lure the audience in with sappy romance and then hit them hard with truly meaningful questions about the nature of their existence.
Provoking fresh thought is the sign of true artists, and Tegan and Sara prove their worth. Whether you’re a fan who just wants some new tracks or a newcomer interested in hearing intellectually stimulating lyrics, “The Con” is no trick; Tegan and Sara provide plenty of value for your money and entertain you the whole way through.
