I finally figured out why I liked Tegan and Sara's new album so quickly. Because, for the first time since Sleater-Kinney broke up in 2006, I'm finally hearing music that *sounds* like Sleater-Kinney.
It's obvious the effect that Sleater-Kinney's music has had on my life. After all, it's where the title and the url for this blog comes from, among other things. Their music came into my life in a period when I was floundering, and listening to Corin Tucker scream helped me put my life back into order. When they went on permanent hiatus, there was a void for their kind of music that I'd not found a replacement for...until this Tegan and Sara album.
Granted, they are not the same, by any means. Corin and Carrie were not twins, and Tegan and Sara are. The music isn't as heavy on the guitar god shenanigans that S-K got into with The Woods, but it's not as acoustic as T&S were previously. Somehow, the music finds the melodic middle ground that S-K occupied so well.
Example: "Ocean"
This song is what led me to make the comparison between T&S and S-K. They use the dual vocal technique in this song that S-K was so famous for. Because they are more willing to have songs where there are separate themes coming together in the same song, they are maturing in their songwriting and falling into the groove that made me like S-K so much.
Sleater-Kinney example: "Burn, Don't Freeze"
Sleater-Kinney comparisons aside, I like this album on its own merit, despite the fact that it does make me think of Sleater-Kinney. It's just good to hear from the girls who are busy doing their own thing, making their own lives free of drama, and being awesome. For instance, in the song "Someday" they capture the yearning and struggle that pretty much encapsulates the late 20's, and is probably the best song on the album.
In short, two years ago when I could have seen them for free at Amoeba Music, do I wish I had? Yes.
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