The Talk blends many genres into one
unique flavor
Sinners of Daughters combines a wide
assortment of stylistic ingredients into one delicious
musical taste
Conor Britain / Reviewer
Listening to The Talk is like ordering an ice-cream and
finding you've been served with sprinkles added on top.
You were given something extra that you didn't expect,
but you like it nonetheless.
In Sinners of Daughters, The Talk takes you through a rock
album that throws traces of 60s punk at you after luring you
in with a straight indy-rock sound that, even if you
didn't ask for it, makes the experience all the better.
Following their first full album, It's Like Magic In
Reverse, released last year, The Talk takes the listener on
an eclectic rock journey, often throwing spices of different
rock styles into the pot that is Sinners of Daughters. They
pull sounds from all eras of rock in the last few decades,
resulting in varied and interesting tracks throughout the
album.
However, The Talk doesn't try to confuse the listener
with too many sounds. They feature a lot of movement on
guitars and drive the bass to create a strong, yet light,
feel throughout the CD.
Jeremy Holcomb, drummer, has a lot of control over the many
different beats in the album and often plays a large part in
distinguishing the different tracks.
The Talk's vocalist, Justin Williams, sounds like a John
Lennon gone punk rock. His whimsical, British-sounding voice
is largely responsible for what makes The Talk such a unique
experience.
Sinners of Daughters opens up with "Queen (She's
Leaving Robe)," a track laced with muddy distortion, a
driving beat and quirky, flowing vocals, setting the stage
for the rest of the album.
"I Don't Wanna Choose" follows in an upbeat
style, which is quite reminiscent of Coheed and Cambria's
"Blood Red Summer." The third track,
"N.Y.L.A," was featured on the Dec. 1 episode of
Fox's "The O.C." It is a fun, exciting song
with sharp guitars and a powerful bass.
The album then makes a shift with "The Search,"
where The Talk starts incorporating more of the punk-rock
genre and the drums truly begin to shine.
After a few more punk tracks, the album makes another
surprising, but excellent shift in "With Guns in Our
Hearts." The track is like ska on Nyquil, with
relatively slow horn sections and lazy vocals laid over what
can only be described as a punk beat in slow motion.
The album's last three tracks go back to a more
alternative rock feel. "Man Narrates" is played in
an 80s sounding style and relies on vocals more than the
other tracks on the album, showcasing the smooth, albeit,
slightly haunting side of Williams' vocals.
Sinners of Daughters closes out with "Any Other
Day," which lacks the fun, eccentric riffs featured
throughout the album in exchange for a longer, moodier and
overall catchier track.
The Talk has followed up It's Like Magic in Reverse with
a sophomore album that's flat-out fun to listen to. The
Charlotte, N.C. based band has put together a solid half hour
of rock and roll. However, it's the added punk rock
flavors that make the album something special.
Contact Conor Britain at pendulum@elon.edu or
278-7247.
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