by James Whitely - SGN Contributing Writer

When I first heard about the release of Sainthood, the new album by Tegan and Sara released earlier this week, October 27, I thought to myself, "Already?" Tegan and Sara never fail to reinvent their sound with each release, and Sainthood has the same love-laced lyrical flow that keeps fans coming back for more. Lyrically, the album is as good as ever, but musically, the album is mediocre at best.

If I hadn't been listening to Tegan and Sara since the album If It Was You (2002), I would have guessed that Sainthood was their first album. Aside from a few things of note, it seems amateur, rushed and ultimately unperfected.

Sainthood is produced by Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie) and Tegan and Sara and is released on Sire Records. About half of Sainthood was recorded here in Seattle at Two Sticks Audio, during the summer of 2009. The album runs 37:15.

If you're a Tegan fan or a Sara fan, it really won't matter with Sainthood. The 13-track album has six songs written by Sara, six written by Tegan, as well as one written by the both of them.

The first four songs are really the only parts of Sainthood worth getting excited for.

"Arrow" (Sara) is all right - it's certainly well written, but still doesn't measure up to the sound on any track from The Con. "Don't Rush" (Tegan) flows nicely, better than almost everything else on the album. "Hell" (Tegan) is also simply "all right." "On Directing" by Sara is probably the highlight of the album. It is easily the most reminiscent of The Con. No track after the first four is anything special.

If you're a hardcore fan, check the album out, but don't waste your money on the vinyl. Sainthood is by no means an album to be "experienced;" it's merely worth a listen. If you're just a casual Tegan and Sara fan, skip this one altogether.

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