Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 02/14/2006
The Veronicas sound like a marketer's dream: impossibly cute Australian twin sisters who sound as if
Hilary Duff and
Avril Lavigne formed a band. If image is everything, this duo has a look that rivals that of
t.A.T.u., and it's far less sleazy, too. But good images don't necessarily make for good records, and that's the real surprise behind their debut album,
The Secret Life Of...: it's a terrific little
pop record. True, their bold, brightly colored
pop may not be everybody's cup of tea, but for those who have found the
teen pop of the mid-2000s to be a serious drag,
The Secret Life Of... is an unexpected gift, a slick, tuneful set of pure sugarcoated fun. While
the Veronicas don't exactly break from the post-
Avril punky
pop that's been the blueprint of
teen pop from
Ashlee Simpson to
Good Charlotte, there's a greater sense of song and studio craft on their record, whether it's coming from veteran teen popster
Max Martin (the man behind
Britney Spears and
the Backstreet Boys) or the sisters themselves. And make no mistake, for as polished as this album is,
the Veronicas come across as a genuine band, not a prefabricated
pop novelty. Not only do
Jess and
Lisa Orgliasso have a hand in writing eight of the 12 songs on
The Secret Life Of..., but there's a kinetic chemistry to their performances that gives this album both a center of gravity and a broader appeal: like
Kelly Clarkson, they don't seem like cookie-cutter
pop tarts, they seem real. Of course, they're packaged and presented as a creation, but that's why
The Secret Life Of... is such a good record: it plays by the rules of punky
teen pop, and by doing so, it reveals how dull and formulaic the rest of the genre is. Here, melody runs through both the verses and choruses, the hooks dig deeper, not just on the tracks helmed by
Martin, but on the Orgliasso sisters' songs, too.
The Veronicas are sassy and sexy, not trashy, and they show humor and heartbreak here, which helps elevate their debut to the top ranks of 2000s
teen pop.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
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