1. Arrow – pop gem potential, fucked up by artsy clanky experimentalism.  Hear that mechanical clanky distortion at the beginning?   That’s a sign of the worst of what’s to come on this album, kind of luck a little baby “fuck you” to people who oh, I don’t know, liked T&S for their SOUND – the  harmonizing pop-folk-rocky stuff.
2. Don’t Rush - wtf is up with the herky jerkyness?  if youre trying to sound like a robot don’t shoot for one running on betamax, go for something that’s been oiled recently. again, i hear a gem in there, but its buried is some clanky crap.  After listening to the rest of the album, this song is stronger than I first thought.  By that I mean that the rest is weak enough to make this look good.
3. Hell – better than track 2
4. On Directing – no way to make ‘talking like a teen’ not sound stupid, sorry.  This is the “Like O, Like H” shit-stupid sounding bit for this album.
5. Red Belt – didnt even notice it on 1st pass. annoying beeps. they are doing everything they can to decorate their voices with dung. this song is a throwaway.
6. The Cure - whats up with singing like a guy? decent, nothing special
7. Northshore - what song are they ripping here?  cant remember. again with the boy sing/huffing.  other than that, ok for t+s trying to do something fast… except for the part they are ripping “don’t x, don’t y, blah blah”
8. Night Watch – this is a song?  this song? sucks.
9. Alligator -  almost as bad as track 8, but not.  Wait, it’s over?  I get it, these are “short pop songs”.  But where is the “pop”?  Hell, even the “song” is questionable in some of these.
10. Paperback Head – this would be a good song for some high school kids making music in their garage. they need a music editor to tell them to write another draft before publishing.  then another.  then just file it away if this is as good as it gets.
11. The Ocean – ok this is a little more familiar now.  like one of the weak songs from the previous album. sadly, it looks good on this album because the rest is so bleh.
12. Sentimental Tune – like a weak song on the early albums, which makes it stronger than track 11.
13. Someday – same as 12

All in all, the album as a whole makes decent background noise, but it’s not the kind of thing I want to listen to in my car.   Or, really ever again now that I think about it.   If the last album was a warning shot, this one is a torpedo of lameness to the groin, T&S, your buy on sight privileges are revoked.   Potentially your “buy ever again” option too.

TWO OUT OF FIVE STARS

Not worth money.

It’s a shame they didn’t take my previous advice, and stop trying to be so damn serious.  Or artsy.  Or experimental/cutting edge, whatever.  They’ve mostly traded in what I think was a great pop/rock/folk sound for some … bullshit really.  I’m sure they like it, and I don’t mean anything personal by my comments.  By all means, make and create what you love.  Just don’t expect people to buy it.

Tegan & Sara – I Hear Noises

Arctic Monkey – Florescent Adolescent

Both of these songs I love, for completely different reasons.

I Hear Noises is really kind of cheesy lyrically, but I think it works really well sonic-ly as part of the whole package and is a great example of T&S having fun with their music and not taking it too seriously (something they got caught up in on the most recent album IMHO).

Lyrics are as follows, roughly:

I am disappointed
Every morning that I wake up
I am disappointed by the feeling
Of waking up next to you
You call me up, let me know that
That my sick guilt is so unwelcome
It’s so unwelcome yeah

I hear noises in the darkness
I hear sadness in your voice
I hear noises in the darkness
I hear sadness inside you

My health is failing me
So I flip on the television
And watch sad movies
And look for sad sick people like me
Call me up, and let me know that
That my sick guilt is so unwelcome
I’m so unwelcome
I’m so unwelcome

I hear noises in the darkness
I hear sadness in your voice
I hear noises in the darkness
I hear sadness inside you

We could go
(We could go)
We could go through the front door
(Through the front door)
We could go
(We could go)
We go in through the front door
(Through the front door)
We could go
(We could go)
We go in through the front door
(Through the front door)
We could go
(We could go)
I come in through the front door
Through the front door
And the pills they will not
Will not
Will not
Will not let me go
And I will not
Will not
Will not let you drink yourself alone
Call me up and let me know that
That my sick guilt is so unwelcome
You’re so unwelcome
You’re so unwelcome

I hear noises in the darkness
I hear sadness in your voice
I hear noises in the darkness
I hear sadness inside you
I hear noises in the darkness
I hear sadness inside you
I hear sadness inside you

Pretty cheesy right (even if it is addressing a serious emotional state)? Well, take a listen (to the link above). I think the whole song works and work quite well. I love that 3rd line and the s-hiss on the first “sick”.

Florescent Adolescent, on the other hand, has much “wittier” lyrics that snap with cynicism and bitterness. It’s a bit repetitive tempo-wise, but lots of fun. I love the regular jumbly-rhyme of the lyrics thrown over the lurching gait of the drums & lead line.

You used to get it in your fishnets
Now you only get it in your night dress
Discarded all the naughty nights for niceness
Landed in a very common crisis
Everything’s in order in a black hole
Nothing seems as pretty as the past though
That Bloody Mary’s lacking in Tabasco
Remember when you used to be a rascal?

Oh the boy’s a slag
The best you ever had
The best you ever had
Is just a memory and those dreams
Weren’t as daft as they seem
Not as daft as they seem
My love when you dream them up…

Flicking through a little book of sex tips
Remember when the boys were all electric?
Now when she’s told she’s gonna get it
I’m guessing that she’d rather just forget it
Clinging to not getting sentimental
Said she wasn’t going but she went still
Likes her gentlemen not to be gentle
Was it a mecca dobber or a betting pencil?

Oh the boy’s a slag
The best you ever had
The best you ever had
Is just a memory and those dreams
Weren’t as daft as they seem
Not as daft as they seem
My love when you dream them up
Oh, so where did you go?
Where did you go?
Where did you go? Woah.

Falling about
You took a left off Last Laugh Lane
You’re just sounding it out
You’re not coming back again.

Falling about
You took a left off Last Laugh Lane
You’re just sounding it out
You’re not coming back again.

You used to get it in your fishnets
Now you only get it in your night dress
Discarded all the naughty nights with niceness
Landed in a very common crisis
Everything’s in order in a black hole
Is anything as pretty as the past though?
That Bloody Mary’s lacking in tabasco
Remember when you used to be a rascal?