Hello Reader,
Welcome back.
This is not the same short-lived late 90s band Talk Show that was formed out of all of the Stone Temple Pilots members minus frontman Scott Weiland, adding new frontman Dave Coutts instead. Rather this band also named Talk Show is new to me and many others. Perhaps they shouldn’t be.
Talk Show has been playing together since their meeting at Goldsmiths, University of London in 2017. They have members from all over but are based in southeast London and the band consists of frontman Harrison Swann, bass guitarist George Sullivan, drummer Chloe MacGregor, and guitarist Tom Holmes. Their first musical release was These People EP (2020) followed by Touch The Ground EP (2022) and now comes their studio album debut. Effigy was released via Missing Piece Records on February 16th for your listening pleasure. Remi Kabaka Jr (Gorillaz, Yard Act) produced the album.
Harrison Swann on the album’s goals: “When people talk about dance music, they often talk about escapism or freedom or drugs, but to me, that’s a really reductive view. I’ve been in some sketchy clubs where I’ve been scared shitless. We wanted this music to embody all of it.” Does it embody all of it? Read and listen below to judge for yourself.
And now some hype for both your ears and eyes!
Starting the album strong with “Gold”:
(All credits and rights to Talk Show)
Get ready for a dance visualizer, “Red/White”:
(All credits and rights to Talk Show)
Speaking about the album, frontman Harrison Swann: “I’m reluctant to call it a concept album because these aren’t narrative songs. I’ve never been the kind of writer to spell everything out. I’d always rather build a world and set an atmosphere and let you lose yourself inside of it.”
Overall Effigy is a fantastic album. Talk Show has created an atmosphere supported by driving guitars, drums and production that one could lose themselves inside while listening. The band knows how to balance sounds, so they aren’t pigeonholed to one genre or only one sound. Choosing to center their musical creativity and imagining a nightclub of the same name to further their creativity around the word Effigy, a word the band finds to mean something to be both simultaneously worshipped and despised, proves to be fitting for the album’s sound and feel. There are dance club beats, and a gritty atmosphere is present throughout. Perhaps a touch of the industrial genre. Mix in often brooding, intentionally uneasy, hypnotic lyrics delivered by Swann due to the refrains used. Swann consistently delivers vocals with intense passion and that makes the album even better. Sometimes the lyrical pace is contrasted with the bpm (beats per minute) of the melodies, and it works well.
The opening song, “Gold” kicks off the album with a propulsive production beat to set the stage. The jangly guitars soon follow and then Swann drops in to take us on a lyrical journey full of frustration, ending with a hole in his head.
The next song, “Oh! You’re! All! Mine! has the pleasing melody of jangly guitar and forceful drumming. There’s a lovely variance in vocal delivery from whisper to full voice to ecstatic tones.
“Red/White” features lyrics about wine and dancing over the top of a melody comprised of guitar driven electronica. I like the use of the more calmly delivered lyrics paired with a more frantic beat.
On “Closer,” the back and forth of the guitar paired with the drums carry the melody before the house beat take the melody over alongside Swann’s impassioned and frustrated vocals. The refrain of the title reminds me of the idiom about dangling a carrot in front of you. Almost had it.
The fifth song on Effigy, “Oil at the Bottom of a Drum” features contemplative lyrics over the top of a beautiful melody that is guitar heavy but also a dance beat complete with pauses and changes.
On the most rock genre forward song up to this point on the album, “Got Sold” features standout vocals from Swann as well as standout drums and guitars.
“Panic” showcases lyrics about trying delivered in a way that reminds me of post-punk genre. Almost halfway through the song, the production beat kicks up in intensity. Then slows for Swann to deliver more lyrics. Then the melody kicks back into high gear alongside Swann’s vocals.
The song, “Small Blue World” has a frantic, anxious beat created by exceptional guitar playing and drumming. The lyrics and vocal delivery further that anxious feeling.
The final song on Effigy is “Catalonia.” When I see the word Catalonia, I think of the autonomous region in Spain. More importantly, the album closer is full of everything. Dance beats, refrains, lyrics that refer to the album title. Even a well delivered parting as the song melody continues after Swann’s last lyrics about being alone are uttered. Then over a minute later, the song fades out.
Effigy gets 4.5 out of 5 Scum Drops from me. It is an excellent album and debut for Talk Show. And another really good release for 2024. Another step forward for the band’s evolution. Great musicianship from all of the band and the production team. The choices made with melodies and lyrics really work. Excellent sonic quality. Worth adding to your collection in any format of your choosing.
Effigy Track listing (song length)
- Gold (4:20)
- Oh! You’re! All! Mine! (2:28)
- Red/White (2:22)
- Closer (3:35)
- Oil at the Bottom of a Drum (3:51)
- Got Sold (2:28)
- Panic (2:11)
- Small Blue World (4:15)
- Catalonia (5:38)
Total runtime: 31:07
I’ll always advocate that you take the time to listen to every album in its entirety. This process is usually an hour or less from start to finish. Along the way, you’ll discover your own favorite songs without influence or bias of others. After a few listens on my own, the songs that are highlighted in green font above are my favorite songs on the album.
For more about the band, their tour, the album, all their socials and more, visit here.
Thank you for reading and supporting good music.
Until next time,
Alex
Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com
