Walk the Moon – Talking is Hard
4/5
Cincinnati, Ohio natives Walk the Moon have had hit a few minor bumps since their start in 2008, namely with the reshaping of the band’s line up; but after the success of their breakthrough hit “Anna Sun”, lead singer and the band’s creator, Nicholas Petricca has taken his indie pop sound to the next level for Talking is Hard.
From the first oo wee oo wee oo to the final chord, “Different Colors“ is a colourful way to open the album (pun intended) with pop melodies that stick and a chorus that almost guarantees sing-a-longs.
For the course of the 12-track album, every instrument draws the listener closer to the speakers: groovy bass-lines, dance-pop guitar melodies, bouncing synths and keyboards, and most of all the perfectly fitting vocals of Nicholas Petricca. The second track from Talking is Hard -“Sidekick”– is a perfect example, with hoppy dance parts that merge together the world of pop music and indie rock.
“Shut Up + Dance“ was the first single released from the album, encompassing true Walk the Moon character; the Ohio boys certainly know a thing or two about creating music people can dance to and enjoy.
Reaching a little out of their comfort zone, but with quality results, “Up 2 U“ features a punchy, distorted rock n’ roll guitar riff as the chorus with Petricca showing off his rocker style vocals – unfiltered and raw.
Synthesizers take over the album on the track “Portugal“, a song of out of continent romance, and overflowing production. Every corner of the track has something happening from the instrumentation, making it a wonderfully dense pop track. “Work this Body” follows closely behind, with a heightened focus on the percussion side, making it even more difficult not to dance.
Although not quite as enticing as the opening tracks, the final few songs such as “Spend Your $$$” and “We Are the Kids“ are still flashy pop songs, but are more of the album-fillers.
For Walk the Moon, talking may be hard, but creating an upbeat, addictive indie pop album is easy – or at least they make it seem easy.
Listen to the full album via YouTube.
