Album Review: Chalk Talk - The Food Chain 7”

Chalk Talk’s second EP is no more exciting than the first, but you have to hand it to them, they are an enthusiastic bunch of lads. It’s a typical offering from a so-called ‘indie’ band; it’s fun, it’s catchy, but it’s nothing to write home about.

The Massachusetts three-piece are known for amazing live shows, and unlike a lot of bands they’ve actually managed to convey the same atmosphere in the recordings. This is evident from the first track, ‘Food Chain’ and even though the vocals aren’t brilliant and it’s a bit slow in the middle, it’s certainly catchy and sets the pace for the rest of the EP. It’s reminiscent of late 90’s Britpop, where a sense of fun seems to overtake talent.

‘Marco Polo’ seems to have a suspiciously similar guitar riff to the first track, and gets very repetitive very quickly. The vocals begin to grate by the end of the song, and the few seconds of silence at the end are a major relief. ‘Laundry’ isn’t too bad a song until about halfway through, when what can only be described as an odd and misguided attempt at breakdown wonders in from nowhere. With only one guitar, Chalk Talk would have been better steering well clear of this idea.

The final track seems to have the same guitar and bass lines that keep popping up on this EP. ‘Two Balls And A Paddle’ also features a stand-up bass, but lets face it, it isn’t really enough to make this track any different from the others on ‘The Food Chain’. The vocals can be hard to decipher in places, but yet it’s still a pretty catchy song. The lyrics show the band’s sense of humour and fun, however this isn’t enough to override the negatives.

I think it’s safe to say that Chalk Talk aren’t going to change the face of ‘indie’ any time soon. ‘The Food Chain’ is fun, nobody can deny that, but they don’t do anything to help themselves in a genre that’s saturated with other bands just like them. Every song begins to sound the same, and Chalk Talk slip back into the same basic pattern for all their songs. If they can break out of this mould they’ve made for themselves, then their full-length album will be one to watch out for.

2/5

'The Food Chain 7"' by Chalk Talk is available now through Bandcamp.

Chalk Talk on MySpace and Facebook.

Blaise Ruston