IN REVIEW: July Talk - "Touch"

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Having gotten as much mileage as they could out of their 2012 debut, July Talk enter their second record with changes in mind. The ragged bluesy rock that they became known for has been glossed up a bit, with sharper production and refined instrumentation, as well as a slight lean toward pop arrangements. Sometimes, these elements add up to bad news for a rock band, but the songs on Touch are better for it; it's still very much a rock record, albeit one with bigger hooks and a more fleshed-out sound overall. Perhaps the most telling thing about this record is the slew of radio ready songs waiting behind lead singles Push + Pull and Strange Habit, two solid songs that somehow wind up among my least favourite tracks here. The slinky Beck + Call absolutely pops (and gets a shot of adrenaline courtesy a near-perfect appearance by throat singer Tanya Tagaq), while the QOTSA-esque Johnny + Mary fulfills the velocity quotient, Lola + Joseph drips with lust and sweat and the sweaty, Sleater-Kinney recalling So Sorry captures enough of the bite of their already renowned live show that I can't wait to see what they do with it in the concert setting. The sum of the parts is a sweatier, sexier, more confident record that gives July Talk a good shot of becoming Canada's next big export.

September 9, 2016 • Sleepless
Highlights Beck + Call • Lola + Joseph • So Sorry

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