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Album Details

• Artist: The Talons Of Spring
• Album: Talons Of Spring
• Label: Indie
• Year of Release: 2007
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2007-10-15

It says on their MySpace page: “MUSIC IS NOTHING WITHOUT THE SPIRITUAL EXTENSION BETWEEN ARTIST AND AUDIENCE.” Amen, but do Talons of Spring deliver it? I’m also not getting the “experimental” references, or the Rimbaud & Lorca as influences; the tracks here may transgressive only if you have not heard anything “darker” than the Doors. Singer/lyricist Andrei certainly name-drops a lot of cool writers, and Talons of Spring does attempt varied styles to bring home lyrics of ennui, cynicism, hope and horniness, but the overall feel of this release is contrived; knowing all the “right” influences doesn’t mean depth automatically rubs off. So “Enemy” is quirky and poetic, but in a Nails, not Cohen way; “Silent Blue Room” is bass-driven and Cave-y, but its toned-down No-wave groove is filtered more through INXS than The Bad Seeds. On “In Through The Looking Glass,” the only shocker here is that Amsterdam can still be used in 2007 as a metaphor for a drug haven or outsider reverie. Listening to “comfort Drag” is to be reminded that “fuck” as a word is not a threat or rebellious just because it is dropped in anywhere in a song. ”This Morning Thought” proves once again that poetry recitation has no business in a song unless it can rise above Moody Blues-level pretension.All is not grim. Talons do put their reading and love of styles to good use as well. “Empathy Hill” has a genuinely effective and noir-driven edginess; “Ocean’s Sidewalk” is driven by semi-goth pop, with a little hopeful double fantasy guitar line that resonates; and it is on “Grandiose Assassination” where poem and groove finally work and make it. “A Lazarus Cry” also points to new directions in originality.The band has miles to go before it becomes as unsettling as it wants to be; I say ditch the hopes for Shamanism and Symbolist poetry and write good brooding tunes that rely more on the music to amplify the words than just referencing mentors. If Talons are going to deliver chills and poetry, and despite the mistakes here they do seem capable of growing into that, they’re going to need to get over themselves in order to find themselves.

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