CAMERON WEBSTER
campus editor
cameron.webster@my.tccd.edu

Twin sister indie-pop duo, Tegan and Sara, have enjoyed a long and successful career that spans over 20 years. When they became unable to perform in front of live audiences due to the pandemic, the pair turned to their past for inspiration.

In 2004 the group released their first commercially successful album “So Jealous.” The album featured the sisters making a transition from a folksier sound into one more reminiscent of 1980s punk-pop.

Fast-forward to 2020, the sisters found themselves in an unfamiliar world. After preparing an acoustic version of their song “You Wouldn’t Like Me” for a fundraiser for the Tegan and Sara Foundation, they had an idea.

They decided to redo the entirety of “So Jealous” acoustically, but with the sisters switching roles and performing each other’s songs.

Thus, the birth of “Still Jealous,” stripped down and raw. It has all 14 songs of the original album but with the pop overtone removed and most of the background instruments gone as well. The songs themselves laid bare to be dissected all over again nearly two decades later. Created with the extra twist of the role reversal.

The album comes out of the gate with “You Wouldn’t Like Me.” Originally performed by Tegan with electric guitar riffs and drums, the voice of Sara shines through with just a simple background acoustic guitar to accompany her. She has a lovely angelic quality to her voice that transforms the song into a relaxing melody that makes you want to reflect as you listen to it on a rainy day.

“Walking With a Ghost,” a song that was covered by The White Stripes in 2005, was originally performed by Sara. It features a repetition of the same three lines but manages to deliver them in an extremely memorable way. Unlike Sara, Tegan’s voice has a grit and conviction to it, this plus the effect of one guitar riff on repeat pushes the song to new heights. It becomes just the right amount of aggressive and in-your-face compared to the original that has a more matter-of-fact feeling to it.

“Speak Slow,” originally performed with a fast rock and roll pace by Tegan, receives the biggest treatment out of any song on the album. Removing all of the rock pomp combined with Sara’s hauntingly beautiful singing and slowing the song down to a snail’s pace in comparison does wonders. These alterations completely change the feeling and tone of the song. Sara’s version, with the lyrics “I am so ah alone,” makes you think of that love you lost previously in your life, while Tegan’s feels more like a defiant statement of, “I don’t need you anymore.”

“I Bet It Stung” — a song about one lover saying to the other they shouldn’t be so uptight and go away over nothing — received a similar treatment as “Speak Slow.” The song was originally performed by Sara with a pop-alternative sound to it. The song is upbeat and gives the feeling that the person actually enjoys the ups and downs of their relationship. Tegan’s rendition shows that she too can slow things down and put a more personal feeling into the song. Her voice transforms the lyrics to sound more like the person singing is begging their lover to not let the small stuff drive them away.

Lifelong fans of Tegan and Sara will love the album. Rehashing old content for the sake of a pandemic-related catharsis, however, is unlikely to bring in any new fans.

This reimagining of an older album is a welcome addition to their discography.