07 November 2010

Talons' - rustic bullshit (2008, Bark and Hiss)

Balance is delicate. Musical alchemy is a capricious phenomenon.

While the two first release of Talons' already reviewed here were impressive (“Falls Chagrin” (2005), “Shitty Emo”(2006)), this particular one seems to miss gaining the same level of intensity for me.

Maybe it's just a question of production, intensity and state of mind. All ingredients are present, but apparently, at first look,  it lacks of some of this special playful and immediate clarity he usually offers. It seems more usual, more conventionally indie, less inspired and emotional.

I guess “Rustic Bullshit” is mostly like a b-side, a side product compared with other stuff like his marvelous “Songs for Babes”.  I don't feel as comfortable with “Rustic Bullshit” as with these other releases but I don't worry about this.

This is mostly a part of Mike Talon's own genesis about Talons'. It stars with another version of “Beyonce”, but while close, it sounds less close and less moving than the same song on the “Shitty Emo” ep. The “Trouble Books” ambient approach seems absent here, the melancholy less pregnant.

Mika describes this record as “a sad short album about getting dumped, drinking, eating junk food, etc.” so probably it is a kind of self-pity, necessary for going forward against next which could explain the atony of this present release.

You have to dig in order to get the gems from this record. “There I Was In The Pouring Rain Again, But This Time I Was At The Drive-Thru At McDonald's” is such one,  two minutes for a song which would need at least four to be completely unfolded. “The Last Time” is another one, 56 seconds and it stops at the exact instant where everything was supposed to start. Somewhat, “Rustic Bullshi” is an album about getting dumped as a listener.

“Rustic Bullshit” is the impasse he has been able to avoid in his artistic development, and the best proof is here : http://derives-webzine.blogspot.com/2010/09/video-new-live-song-from-talons.html

You can download "Rustic Bullshit" here

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