Having played Webster Theater on multiple occasions, Meg & Dia's latest album Here, Here and Here hits stores on April 21st, 2009 and is a really solid sophomore release by the Utah sisters.

A few months ago when I sat down for a chat with Dia she told me that the upcoming release by her and her sister Meg would be “a 50-50 split in which I wrote maybe four songs completely on my own and then she wrote maybe five songs completely on her own and then maybe three or four songs we would collaborate.” After being really impressed with the bands initial release “Something Real,” I was really looking forward to hearing “Here, Here and Here,” which is being released on April 21st, 2009.

Right off the bat the difference I hear from the band is a feel for the audience who will be purchasing their albums. Where the last album sounded like it was written for the singer songwriter in them, this album shows the girls ability to write some great pop songs. The up tempo second track “Hug Me,” uses fast paced lyrics and a downplayed bubble gum pop sound.

Die hard fans might be thinking that all this sounds pretty bad but truth be told it’s a sound that makes sense for them. The true fans of Meg & Dia will look past the pop attitude and realize that these songs are true gems. Track three, “What If,” was first heard on their last tour, and for me when they stopped at Webster Theater with the “Take Action Tour.” When this song was introduced as being on the upcoming album I got excited, thinking that this is a really awesome song, and this built my own personal hype for “Here, Here and Here.”

My exact thoughts on the song “What If,” revolved around the idea that this was a true pop song and the hopes that this great group of musicians could take that next step. Songs like this will really help push the band to that level.

A theme that runs through many of the songs on this album is fast lyrics in the style of Barenaked Ladies. Even in the slower paced songs lead singer Dia races through cool patches of fast paced lyrics giving the band a unique feel. Their ability to spin the singer/songwriter feel to the alternative crowd that the band is devoted to playing for is something special.

Another thing included in this album that appeared absent on “Something Real,” is an added level of production. In songs such as “Black Wedding,” you hear some extra synth sounds in the background helping to give the group the feeling of being larger than life. Each of the songs on the record sounds like it could easily appear in Gossip Girl or the right television commercial, which as always, is key to any pop artists success in today’s music world.

Interesting that the first real ballad of the album does not come until track seven when the girls are joined by a male voice on “Bored of Your Love.” The mystery voice we will have to assume is Tom Higgenson (lead singer of The Plain White-T’s) who co-wrote the song with Dia. This song is definitely one of the highlights on the back end of this album and is the groups first venture into co-writing songs on their album.

My favorite song on the album might just be track eight “One Sail,” in which the group really reminds me of their older style. Fans who spent hours listening to the bands first release will really go crazy over this son. The start of the song really highlights Dia’s voice and the acoustic guitar gives the song a really solid groove. Although the album is not as solid towards the end the albums final song which is the title track “Here, Here and Here,” is really well written slow jam featuring great harmonies and some more of Meg’s killer acoustic guitar.

Overall I think this album meets my expectations, moving the band farther into the world of pop music as a mainstay. The questions moving forward will be who Meg & Dia choose to tour with. Their last tour put them alongside Cute is What We Aim For and Breathe Carolina, two bands that might not fit them musically, but definitely fit their target audience. Their music is what will carry these Utah natives to the next level and this album “Here, Here and Here,” could help the group meet their music goals which Dia established as “I hope we won’t be a one hit wonder even though we haven’t even had that hit yet, I hope that we can still be touring (in three years) and I just want to always have dedicated fans...”