Date: 4.14.2004 Author: Melissa Publication: TeganAndSara[dot]org Column: Versus Headline: Everything Old is New Again

You know, it's hard to pick between two things when they are so different. Especially when you love them both and appreciate the differences. Today, I'm going to make a choice though. It's risky. I'm going to try and argue that This Business Of Art is superior to If It Was You, or maybe just try and point out how it doesn't really suck much and there's plenty of good to be found on that little jewel of a disc we lovingly refer to as TBOA. I have always said to people time and time again, that it seemed like Tegan and Sara were using their voices more on TBOA. You have the throaty, the bluesy, the rasp, the growl. I don't know, it can get pretty hot in thurr on TBOA. Think of the songs like "More For Me" or "Come On." The vocals are great. They sound developed and even pretty at times. I like it when Tegan uses her voice, rather than a lot of that high-pitched whine she's been liking lately. Not that it's a bad thing for her to change her voice up now and then, but she could use the strength of her voice once in a while too. Remember when Sara's voice sounded like she needed to clear her throat from time to time? Liked that. The vocals on IIWY often feel lazy to me. Sometimes I think the girls weren't even trying to sing when they really can sing. I also often think about lyrics. Man, some of those songs on TBOA sure do get wordy don't they? You can call that pretentious, but I call it fun. They can damn near mean anything and we all get the chance to make them mean something to us. You could interpret some of those songs in so many ways. I usually prefer to take the low road and steer my interpretations down to the "red light district." What exactly does, "your fluid is thick against my sheets" mean? I usually tell people, "man I have no clue what that means!" But in private, oh yeah, it means something to me. Those girls knew they were being sexy on TBOA and I find it fun and cheeky. Really Tegan? "Licking the package ain't ever quite as good?" Well, ok girl, so says you. When people debate what a song means on these whacked out message boards, they are always fighting and contradicting each other mostly on the TBOA songs. You know why? Because they give us so much more to work with. This is great for songs. We can all relate and they reach a broader audience, they intrigue us and they get to mean whatever the hell we want them to mean. I don't know about you, but I can't really do too much with "City Girl" you know? I won't say IIWY doesn't grant us the sexy at all or allow us to interpret. Yes, I understand Tegan spending the afternoon on top of me is hot, and I really have seen all the talk about what the significance of "In the back of your/this car I feel like I have traveled nowhere" might be. I just think they give us more of both on TBOA. As for production, call it cheesy, but I don't mind a song sounding like it was recorded in a studio. I like the sometimes-dramatic sounding stuff. You know, the way "My Number" can get all important sounding with the pounding drums? If you aren't being a snob, sometimes the dramatic stuff really does inspire some emotions in you, or you could lie and say it doesn't. IIWY is so bare bones to me in this department and really, that is the direction all music is taking lately. I can hardly take anymore of it either. Do we really need all that stuff? I mean, I like the Strokes okay, but I liked them a lot more before every band was sounding like them. Or they were sounding like every other band; you pick the chicken or the egg. I know Tegan and Sara feel really strongly that TBOA sucked. So the chance of the new album sounding anything at all like TBOA has the same chance as me becoming your next Miss America finalist, but I can wish. I have a feeling they think growing means really changing. Sometimes it can mean modification though and you don't always have to leave the past in the dust to improve upon it or grow somehow. Maybe it would be really cool to revisit the past and pick out the great things about it and use them again a little. Their newer songs are REALLY taking the simplicity approach. We got what, 5 lines in Trouble, and I think Tegan gave Missing You six lines. I love those songs, but man, I really need more to work with and really, I can't make too many dirty comments about those few lines they are giving up. Well I could, since we don't know what the lyrics actually are and I could argue they were something they aren't. That doesn't really help my argument though. In conclusion I guess what I really want, is for this new album to make me think sexy things, sometimes be dramatic and over-produced and help me to realize again that these girls can SING. I wouldn't mind it inspiring a few arguments over what they are about either. That isn't too much to ask. Oh also, it should kick major ass and break them big. Those are but a few really simple requests of Tegan and Sara. Don't you think? Oh yeah........and maybe more cowbell. Back to Versus