REVIEW: Talking to Animals, Manhole (Velvel)
- Arabella Clauson
A long time in coming, Talking to Animals finally releases the highly anticipated Manhole after living for two years in limbo. The band was previously signed with Sony's Columbia label, which ruthlessly dropped the developing artists on the eve of their major-label debut last January. Strangely enough, the Columbia website still lists them as "coming soon." After shopping around for a few months, band successfully gained distribution through small label Velvel.
It seems impossible to describe Boston's Talking to Animals without acknowledging a most prominent element, Juliana Nash, who possesses an absolutely stunning vocal range. Nash pens all the songs and then takes them to the band for musical interpretation, which is usually refined through live performance. The result of this continuous songwriting process is Manhole , which really begs for the attention of words like dynamic and powerful. This is a slightly grungy, but disturbingly refreshing disc evoking Sarah McLachlan's Surfacing disc on "Mouth Tattoo," the likes of Mazzy Star on "Breathe" and "Kid is not Alright," and unquestionable Concrete Blonde influences on "Turning Into Beautiful," which is perhaps the most impressive track capturing the emotional uncertainty of a first date through a hook driven chorus. "Little by Little" illustrates street life in New York City through punchy, powerful vocals.
Nash has a most incredible voice, commanding and essentially lifting the band out of a dreaded "alternative" rut. She has the driving passion of Johnette Napolitano coupled with a vocal talent the music industry deperately needs, like that of the much underrated Atlanta native Michelle Malone. If Nash's melody-driven, energetic songs themselves fail to capture attention, her voice refuses to allow just the casual listen, adding a sultry depth to what might otherwise be a fairly typical music base.
