Production is one of those things that is best when it’s not noticed. Becoming aware of how an album is produced soils the listening experience because it is a realization that what you’re hearing is a manipulated version of reality. This is also why it’s always better for music to have a lo-fi sound than an overproduced one. At least with lo-fi their is a feeling (even if it’s only an illusion) of being a direct and unaltered reality.
The problem with overproduction becomes more magnified the more genuine the starting sound is. In other words, it’s really not a problem if a techno group tweak the hell out of their sound in the studio but it is an issue for a singer-songwriter. And this is where Tegan and Sara’s The Con comes in.
The album could have been great, but do to some questionable production decisions by the man at the helm (Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla), it is merely good.
The first song, “I Was Married”, sets the tone for what comes after. It feels vaguely like a child’s nursery song, but with an odd rhythm, atypical vocal layering, and some electric piano. The song is not reminiscent of any Tegan and Sara tunes to predate it. It is followed up “Relief Next To Me”, which is surprisingly old and distant, which are not adjectives that are usually used to describe the duo. If these two songs were lone outliers things would be fine, but it’s certainly not the case.
One style of song that is prevalent on The Con is that of the unconventional angular pop tune. “Floorplan”, “Soil, Soil”, and “Knife Going In” feature hard string plucking and heavy reverb. It seems a bit odd that Tegan and Sara would write songs like this because they are not tailored to their voices. “Are You Ten Years Ago” is even worse in this aspect, with a monotone hip-hop like delivery set over a slew of far too electronic drum and synth sounds.
The trouble with all of these tracks is their lack of authenticity. Tegan and Sara excel at writing beautiful singer-songwriter/pop tunes; the type of tunes that sound good with just their raw voices and an acoustic guitar. Their music is natural at it’s core, but is forced into an unnatural state on so many songs on this album. All of the production tricks and electric pulses of The Con create a force field between listener and the music itself.
The real testament to the flaws created in studio come from hearing the songs that are produced with a lighter hand. “The Con”, for example, is a fairly straight forward pop rock tune with good tension creation. And while there are still electronic keys, they don’t overwhelm the sound. “Back In Your Head” is another illustration of this. The simple piano riff and tide like pull of the verses’ guitar draws the listener in and the girls’ vocals are allowed to peak, almost crying during the chorus. When Sara Quin pleads, “I just want back in your head,” it feels utterly genuine. The most fun track on The Con, “Hop A Plane”, also avoids being weighed down. It’s power chord guitar attack (which has a very “Clash City Rockers” feel) is refreshingly different than the rest of the tunes.
The Quin sisters’ ability to be hit the painfully heartfelt note is front and center on “Nineteen.” It’s a case where multiple layers build on themselves in the proper manner because the differences are more subtle. Jason McGerr’s drumming is fantastic on “Nineteen” (as it is on the entire album). The Death Cab for Cutie drummer did session work for The Con and is the most consistent aspect of the album. He may be the most underrated drummer in popular music with his minimalist style.
The Con is all about the juxtaposition of the frustratingly overdone and the brilliantly basic. When the album finishes up with the finger-picking “Call It Off” – it’s poignant simply because it’s given space to breathe. This is an open air album that’s trapped in a tiny room, but when it’s able to grasp a couple deep breaths it shines.
Review Score: 8.0
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While I found your review interesting, I didn’t agree with all of it. And you didn’t mention Dark Come Soon which is arguably my favorite on the record, (along with Call It Off, The Con, and Back In Your Head). I have listened to this record probably close to, if not more than, a hundred times, and some of it, in my opinion, it quirkily brilliant. Some of it is touching, and some of it just rocks. Lastly, their last name is Quin, not Quinn. Thanks.
Thanks for catching my typo. Laziness on double-checking is one of the side effects of writing at 3 a.m.