ALBUM REVIEW: Talk Show Host’s Debut ‘MID-CENTURY MODERN’ Goes Beyond Pop Punk
ALBUM REVIEW: Talk Show Host’s Debut ‘MID-CENTURY MODERN’ Goes Beyond Pop Punk
Words By: Garrett Kearns
Written for arenas, performed with guts, Talk Show Host’s debut Mid-Century Modern is undeniably infectious. The Toronto trio have gone against the grain and released a pop punk album that wears its inspirations openly. If Weezer and Foo Fighters had a baby that grew up to be a punk, it might sound something like this. There is absolutely no filler on the album. Each song is crafted to start fast and finish early. Every track has a hook that makes you want to re-listen to the album all over again once it is over.
While their sound might be conventional to the genre, the band never repeats themselves. The simplicity of drums, guitar, bass, and vocals serve as the typical rock band format, but Talk Show Host throw in their own signature mixture of wit, irony, and wordplay. Guitarist and vocalist Chris Veinot knows how to push and pull the melody within the confines of the rhythm section. The structure of the songs follows a similar format, but the band uses it as a vehicle to introduce variation. No two songs have the same riff, beat, or the same vocal melody. Talk Show Host is not trying to reinvent the genre. They play within the rules of punk, but the group excels at delivering memorable songs.
The greatest stylistic shift takes place in the final song “Lame Duck….” The track opens with a rolling John Bonham style drum part that repeats throughout. This provides space for quieter vocals and sparse guitar chords. The repeated lyric “I’m so sure/I’m not so sure” gives the sense of an internal struggle. Making this song a duet with male and female vocals adds to the rising tension as the volume gradually increases. The band gives it their all when the song hits its peak. Shrieking distortion, layered vocals, and the lock-step rhythm of drummer Sean Woolven and bassist Fabien Rivenet combine into a tapestry of noise. “Lame Duck…” is an outlier that makes clear Talk Show Host are greater than a normal punk band.
No pop punk album is complete without arena-sized vocals in the choruses, and this release has plenty of them. These massive, layered vocals are closest to Foo Fighters’ signature sound. It takes little imagination to place the band on a festival stage with a large crowd chanting the lyrics. The sonic pallet of the band fits seamlessly with sweat-stained t-shirts and beer. Talk Show Host might be new to American audiences, but they will certainly find a home among their peers.
