REVIEW: Strange Talk Unleash Explosive Debut, ‘Cast Away’

Australian synthpop band, Strange Talk, have been high on my radar since the summer of 2011. After only releasing their debut album, Cast Away, overseas, I just had to find a way to get my hands on a copy – so to Amazon I went. Now, a year later, the band has signed with Wind-up Records to release their magnificent little beast of an album onto America – and the wait was well worth it!

With 3 extra tracks previously unavailable on the original Aussie release (2 EP favorites and current single “Young Hearts”) Strange Talk are (finally) here to prove that we all need a healthy dose of strange. Get out your strobe lights! This one is a banger!

The album opens with bombastic title track, “Cast Away” that can only be described as in-your-face synth that screams ‘get ready for us!’ This is only a taste of what’s to come. “Falling In Love” barrels in with guns blazing and steals your heart the moment the beat drops. Songs like this make you wonder what’s to come with the current wave of fusing synthpop and EDM. Only time will tell!

My personal favorite, “Picking Up All The Pieces,” is Strange Talk at their best. Mixing alluring melodies with gorgeous electronic backdrops, this one is sure to induce some kind of euphoric pop addiction with no apologies.

EP favorites, “Eskimo Boy,” “Is It Real?” and “Climbing Walls,” ‘like a jigsaw,’ blend together to form an unexpected yet pleasurable experience for the listener.

Current single, “Young Hearts,” captures the innocence of youth and the nostalgia of thinking you have it all figured out. But when it’s all said and done, “all we really need is a stereo.”

“Another Day,” “So So La La,” and “Morning Sun,” which has been featured in the movie That Awkward Moment and Glee, are just another example of genre-fusing that keeps the theme of this album consistent and ever-flowing with hit after hit. The album’s only ballad, “Come Back Home,” offers all killer and no filler with an 80’s influence sprinkled all over it.

Closing out the album is police chase of the year, “Wanted (Dead or Alive).” No, not the Bon Jovi one but a real keeper, for sure. There’s a lot going on in this one and it will definitely keep you on your toes and ready to experience it all over again.

Cast Away could be the defining album of the future of synthpop and EDM. It’s loud, explosive, heartfelt, and most of all, a damn good time – which is what any young heart craves.

Cast Away is available now HERE.

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