Though twins Tegan and Sara Quinn grew up on punk, theyve demonstrably honed their pop instincts and graduated from folk-tinged New Wave/pop-punk to something more sophisticated over the course of their four albums. Last years The Con consolidates the gains made on 2004s critical breakthrough, So Jealous, with crafted, well-polished tracks. Produced by Death Cab for Cuties Chris Walla with instrumental help from Matt Sharp (Weezer/The Rentals) and guitarist Kaki King among others, The Con is a dynamic album that, while hardly lush, boasts enveloping, idiosyncratic atmospheres. It addresses Tegan & Saras greatest weakness to date -- indistinctive arrangements. Theyre not Fiona Apple yet, but the greater complexity improves the flow of the album, which actually gathers steam over its 14 tracks. Overall, The Con possesses a dark beauty, from the pulsing, anxious Relief New to Me to the haunted feel of Are You Ten Years Ago to the jangly, burbling Burn Your Life Down, which suggests the pop swoon of early Julianna Hatfield. While the emotional tenor can be overwrought, it complements the musics shadowy, repressed tension.
Mon., April 28, 6:30 p.m., 2008