Tegan and Sara: Love You To Death

For far too long twins Tegan and Sara were on the outside edge of the mainstream. Their consistently brilliant and always diverse album releases were met with critical acclaim but only ever reached a niche audience.

However all that changed in 2013 when they released their Greg Kurstin produced pop breakout Heartthrob and the twins were suddenly the talk of pretty much every town around the world.

From duetting with Taylor Swift on her tour to supporting The Killers in the UK, Tegan and Sara were suddenly household names.

Having spent over 15 years in obscurity, the pressure to follow-up the commercial acclaim of their seventh studio album has clearly not phased the twins too much.

Teaming up with Greg Kurstin for their eighth offering, Love You To Death, the duo strike an interesting balance on the release.

While it's predecessor was shameless glossy pop, Love You To Death showcases the folk-drive and punk sensibilities of their earlier works, without losing the pop finish that assisted their explosion.

While many may have feared Heartthrob #2, Love You To Death does not simply re-hash the hit record. As with all their work to date, Tegan and Sara showcase their real skill as songwriters, with their touching honesty driven home in their insightful lyrics.

That being said this is an album that fails to surpass the excitement instigated by it's predecessor. On Heartthrob the duo managed to defy expectations and show that pop had not lost it's heart or soul.

The album does all of the above, but it doesn't push any new boundaries. Tegan and Sara are skilled songwriters, but that was never in doubt.

Album number 8 is the first that does not see them re-mould and diversify, instead it feels like the sum of all their parts in a cumulative collection.

With the collection headed up by the single release of Boyfriend, the album's intentions were always clear. The simplicity of their chorus drive boasted echoes of their early hits Monday Monday Monday and City Girl with the pop finish of the more recent Closer.

While Faint of Heart and Stop Desire tick the radio friendly box, they are less obviously Tegan and Sara and could have been recorded by any contemporary popstar.

100x is without any doubt the album highlight. Break-ups are common subject matter for pop songs but the personal narrative centred on a sparse piano melody aided only by a few understated synths, the straightforward honesty lifts this above the average break-up song.

Coming a close second to 100x is the blast of U-Turn, which feels like a direct cut from a summer in the 80s, but simultaneously feels relevant to the current musical landscape.

While elements of Love You To Death may disappoint, on the whole this is another stunning release from the sisters.