Those who really know me know that my second favorite band is Tegan & Sara (even people who don’t know me know my favorite band). So one release I’ve been looking forward to this year is their latest — The Con. So Jealous, released in 2004, is one of my all time favorites, and what got me into them. Actually, hearing Where Does The Good Go on Pandora.com is what really got me going. Pandora is awesome, by the way…

But I have to say that my first impression of The Con was not very glowing. From what I read, I expected something a little more raw, which is fine by me, since I love their first two albums, which are also quite raw. So I figured this may take repeated listenings.

I was right.

My wife calls them “Alvin & The Chipmunks”, and I can’t say she’s too far off with the sound 😉 The first time I listened to the new album was in her car, which was playing with fire, because I knew I’d have to turn it off quickly and turn XM back on. Nope — she’s not a fan. I guess T & S are an acquired taste. But I had just finished downloading the album (uh — did I mentioned it was leaked a couple of months before the release date? Real fans scour the Web for leaks, and we still buy the CD the day it’s released — please don’t kill me 😉 ), and we had to leave the house right away, so I just had to throw it on the iPod…

Back to the album…

It’s definitely a grower. It took about 5 to 10 listens, but it finally took. I’m a bit surprised how many other fans took to it right away, since it is not immediately accessible at all. There are still a few songs that I’m still trying to get, but I don’t feel the urge to skip them. Once these songs become my new best friends (and once the album is officially released), I’ll write a full review on Amazon. For now, just consider this post a recommendation for The Con, and Tegan & Sara, in general. If you get a chance, look them up on YouTube. They are great live, and they are very funny. Their stage banter is worth admission.