There’s been more than one occasion now where a writer has stated that comparing one artist to another in terms of what they sound like is lazy journalism. That’s bollocks. Cutting and pasting a whole press release and then passing it off as your own is lazy journalism. Equivalence, especially in new music writing, is a useful tool to give a reader at least a vague sense of if the music might be something that appeals to their tastes. It isn't lazy – it requires a bit of thought.
Which brings me to Leeds based sextet Talkboy. So far I’ve seen them compared to Franz Ferdinand, Arcade Fire, Alvvays, The Big Moon, Sophie Ellis Bextor (that was me) and on new single Wasting Time the intro has the trippy feel of The Beatles more LSD influenced moments. The point is that Talkboy, whilst sitting in the indie rock / pop genre, are exploring lots of different avenues within it. “One of Yorkshire’s most exciting indie prospects,” the press release tells me. It’s not wrong – screw it if I’m being a lazy there. (If you think I’m the only one so Google the words ‘Talkboy one of Yorkshire’s most exciting indie prospects’ and play spot the copy and paste job!) I’d go further than just Yorkshire with the praise for Talkboy though – to at least the north of England - maybe even further.
What makes them deserve the hype? At its core the answer is the songs. They’re inventive, hooky, well-constructed and bloody enjoyable. Wasting Time is another example. Dealing with the conflict of the world of adult responsibilities whilst trying to enjoy the here and now of youth it’s chock full of melodies, harmonies and is wonderfully executed in every respect. If this is how Talkboy waste their time, let’s let them do more of it.
Talkboy play a number of festival shows over the next few months in the UK including Live At Leeds, The Great Escape (Alt Escape Show), Long Division Festival, Blue Dot and Y-Not.
Talkboy - Wasting Time
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