Screaming Females
Castle Talk
Don Giovanni Records (2010)
why you'll love it - Garage rock lives!
why you'll hate it - not as raw as earlier albums
Back in March, I caught Ted Leo and The Pharmacists in NYC. Despite Ted Leo and Rick Froberg, two of my modern rock idols also performing that night, it was the opening band that stole the show. In a modest Amish looking dress, the diminutive guitarist soon exploded with sound. A solid 45 minutes of old school rock followed and what felt like an endless supply of guitar solos.
Castle Talk doesn't provide that sledgehammer feeling one's first Screaming Females show does, but that doesn't stop if from being an absolute killer of a rock album. There are a few nitpicks you could jab at this album with, like a complete abandon of Marissa Paternoster's unique screaming voice, or one or two instances of corny lyrics (the chorus to "Sheep"). None that matters. The songs are that good, and get better with each play through.
Without resorting to any attention getting hooks or gimmicks, this is already my favorite Screaming Females album, and one of the best albums of 2010. Loud or soft, gritty or danceable, the band is talented enough to corral their range into a tight package that never loses momentum to the very end. Just one track, "Deluxe" sounds a bit too much like a demo, compared to the rest of the album; but this is yet another invalid complaint that gets swallowed up in the surrounding wonderful. If you love bands like Television, Wipers, or The Birthday, this is a must listen.
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