Peace & Love? Nah.
Exeter three piece Talula return with their new EP 'Ripped Up And Violent' with Muse producer Paul Reeve at the controls.
Talula's distinct advantage is that they don't sound particularly like anyone else, they take the harshest parts of indie, a good dose of rock & mix it up with a healthy portion of punk attitude to produce a vibrant and at times aggressive concoction. The title track 'Ripped Up And Violent' is fairly mid paced in tempo but seethes with an undercurrent of menace, helped in no small way by the raw production. It's catchy in the chorus and has enough engaging elements to really impress.
'Sojourn' is far more mainstream in its approach, at least in the verse and although it does break into a faster chorus the production that worked so well on the previous track lets them down here. It should be flying out of the speakers like a sledgehammer but instead it's rather weak and lacks real punch. Having said that it's still a decent track and although simple in structure the parts fit well together.
'The Battle & The Beauty' shows another softer side to Talula with its melancholic acoustic feel. It's another string to their bow and demonstrates some versatility but it's a little frustrating that after such an impressive opening to the EP the subsequent tracks are not of the same calibre. They do finish with a big anthemic ending but it lacks the originality and freshness of 'Ripped Up'. There's enough here to warrant further investigation and the repressed energy promises for an exciting live show.