Tegan and Sara live album benefits from bonus disc

Indie pop duo Tegan and Sara isn’t exactly the kind of act that you’d expect would sound much different live. So it’s a bit odd that the band opted to put out a live album. And yet, Get Along, which was recorded before a small audience of 75 at the Warehouse Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, is more than just a live album. The double disc set includes one CD of live tunes and a DVD of three short films (two documentaries and a live performance). Dubbed States, the first film chronicles the band’s history while mixing together narration and live footage. While the film doesn’t have much of a narrative to it, it does function well enough as an overview of the group’s humble beginnings. The second film, India, chronicles the band’s 2010 tour of India and includes lots of behind-the-scenes footage, including a terrific acoustic rendition of “Walking with a Ghost” that the group plays while sitting on a beach. And the third film, For the Most Part, is a live concert film recorded in an intimate space decorated to resemble a living room. All three films are well-done and don’t just settle for an amateur approach.

Essentially a soundtrack to For the Most Part, the CD works well as a stand alone as the opening tune, “Alligator,” shows off crisp vocals, and “I Hear Noises” plays up the band’s pop impulses with its synth-heavy sound. While tracks such as “Back in Your Head” and “Relief Next to Me” don’t sound as polished as the studio versions, the harsher sound actually suits the emotionally turbulent songs.