Tegan and Sara

In today's pop music, the package seems to take precedent over the product. In that context, Tegan & Sara are a breath of fresh air -- that rare example of substantial pop music you can sink your teeth into. These 23-year-old Canadian twins will disarm you with their pixie stature, then knock you over the head with the most inspired pop you've heard in ages. So Jealous is an album written, performed and co-produced by two mature artists with unwavering confidence and a bagful of power-pop hooks.

The album’s opening track, “You Wouldn’t Like Me,” immediately grabs hold of you and you quickly realize they own you. 14 songs and 45 minutes later…you’re hitting repeat. An album like this doesn’t come along very often. It leaves you marveling at the possibility and power of the pop song. I was going to detail why some specific tracks were my favorites. But I was up to 12 songs and realized that I didn’t have room for it. I pick a new favorite on every listen.

It’s a lollipop, a juggernaut, a pop masterpiece. It’s the kind of album that makes you buy a new car stereo, new headphones and whatever else it takes to make sure you’re squeezing every drop of goodness you can get out of it. It’s bordering on an addiction for me. - Doug Kamin

Tegan and Sara's third album, So Jealous, is by far their most ambitious and liveliest record, opening up their punk-folk sound with a heavy dose of new wave sensibility and pop hooks. They started moving in this direction on their previous album, but here they dive headfirst into slick, shiny surfaces, insistent synths, clean guitars, and bright, playful melodies that sound sunny even in minor keys. This musical revamp doesn't betray their nervy emotionalism. Instead, it focuses them, giving their music style and flair that focuses them while making the duo more accessible. And So Jealous is indeed the Tegan and Sara album that could play to a wider audience, but the group remains an acquired taste for one reason: their thin, squeaky voices and close harmonies can be grating to the uninitiated. Nevertheless, for those who have acquired that taste, So Jealous is the most satisfying album Tegan and Sara have yet made. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide