Tegan and Sara

The Calgary's wonder twins first major label album sounds like an indie - considerably more energetic and raw than their actual indie debut, which was released earlier this year. Much of the credit goes to producer Hawksley Workman, who takes a bunch of similar-sounding songs and colours them effectively with synth bass, vivid drum sounds and keeps the sisters' vocals at red levels. The latter effect is best heard on "More For Me," which buries the sleepy version on their debut. "Superstar" flirts with windmill guitar metal moments to great effect. Although the window dressing complements the duo's two acoustic guitar format, it also makes their live show come up short in comparison. And yes, obvious Ani DiFranco comparisons can be made, but unlike legions of musical criminals, Tegan and Sara choose to borrow from DiFranco's good qualities - mainly busy wordplay, confident singing and strong rhythm guitar playing, without cutesy quirks. But there's still an uphill battle ahead of them to find their own voice.