Heartthrob - Tegan and Sara
User Score
7.9 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 64 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 54 out of 64
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 64
  3. Negative: 7 out of 64

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  1. cari_elan_holli
    Jan 29, 2013
    4
    I could just copy and paste Critico's review. Heartthrob is disposable 80's dance pop. If you're into that kind of thing you'll probably enjoy it, but this isn't the Tegan & Sara I've liked for years. Everything that made them quirky and original is buried beneath synths and generic beats. I hope this is just a quick departure and not a road they continue down.
  2. Hesperite
    Jan 31, 2013
    3
    As a long time fan, it pains me to say that this is the duo's worst album since 'This Business of Art.' That doesn't mean they've "sold out" or anything. They have been on a major label for years. It's just that they are such endearing songwriters, and this album glosses over everything that makes them charming. They sound lost.
  3. CriticoDubioso
    Jan 29, 2013
    0
    Uniformly awful.

    I´ve been a fan since If It Was You. But being a fan of intelligent indie/folk/punk does not mean I will swallow an album of craptastic dance pop, just because I respect the artists who spawned it.

    If the twins emulated Ani DeFranco on their first album, on this, their first disposable album, they're emulating Rhianna, Gaga and Bieber. And that's not exactly wh    at I'd call an artistic evolution. This is their Rod Stewart Moment. When a great artist sells out for money, and in the process, throws away what was great about them in the first place.

    So if T&S want to go this route, good luck. They will always have a special place in my heart for the amazing work they've done (and for being intelligent, and funny and cute as can be along the whole ride).

    But being a fan of good, smart tunes, I simply have no interest in this, um, product.    … Expand
  4. guiffre
    Feb 2, 2013
    3
    I appreciate danceability and eighties revivals as much as the most hardcore nostalgics, however, this simply comes across as shallow and contrived. It makes me wonder how much input vs. how much creative control they delegated to the producer (whose credentials make me think he was steering the ship). If you're looking for airy, bombastic synth pop with no regard for variety, subtlety or dynamic arranging, look no further. There are many other bands doing this a lot better right now and not comprising nearly as much integrity. This was a very obvious commercial shout out and not the creative/artistic exploration these girls would hope you to think.… Expand
  5. Howiseveryone
    Feb 1, 2013
    3
    what I find truly amazing is how these professional "critics" are actually justifying this record as good and refreshing. It makes me think the whole music industry is rigged. This record, as someone said earlier, is nothing but really bad 80's music. Why should we celebrate something that has been done over and over again? A clear example on how bad the music industry is getting. This is bad pop music..not good pop music so lets make that perfectly clear.… Expand
  6. suusi
    Feb 1, 2013
    1
    I dont get this either. This album is so weak for a pop album. There voices are annoying and whiny on this compared to some of there other work. And the songs sound more immature too. There is no great lyricism in this record. Do people actually like this crap?
  7. lovemuscperiod
    Feb 6, 2013
    0
    Absolutely Ridiculous!!! After listening to this a few times you are already sick of it. Its the kind of music they would play in a gay bathhouse. They have not done enough here at all. If they were not Tegan and Sara then anyone of these fans would not give it a favourable review. Just because they created good stuff in the past does not mean as artists they can hang on the coattails of their past glory. This filth is embarassing and whats even more embarassing are the empty heads that are praising this. For a 7th studio album, this is totally unacceptable. Pop or not Pop, it just sucks… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. Austin Chronicle
    Mar 13, 2013
    50
    Beginning with the naughty promise of "Closer," which voices a transgressive assertion of female sexual desire, the duo rapidly devolves into a string of whiny mash notes accentuated by tinny, synth-heavy instrumentation.
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  2. No Ripcord
    Mar 4, 2013
    60
    This was an interesting direction to go in and it definitely has a lot of potential. But the duo will need to do a better job balancing the synths and the songs to succeed.
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  3. The Independent on Sunday (UK)
    Feb 19, 2013
    80
    They have now cracked out the synths, ramped up the drum machines, and found their calling in giddy, lovelorn electro-pop.
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