A Classic And Genre-Bending Release from Talking To Yourself
- R.A.G.
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
A new release from Talking To Yourself brings out a soiree of electronic soundscapes that blend with elements of hip hop, R&B, dance, and plenty more, all rolled into this semi nostalgic Sensation that gives off the air of classic influences along with fresh ones.
The Glowstick record definitely has loads of different attributes that it brings to the table, some of them driven by '80s and '90s pop or hip hop, while others bring together more of a fresh electronic tonality. Certain songs have a vastness in their undertone, while some have an incredibly danceable groove and Rhythm that you can't move to.
"Explode" is the single that introduces the album, and it's a great way to open the door for the rest of the record because you're getting a few of these amazing staples that you hear along the way.
From great cuts and edits with vocal samples to classic cinematic synthesizers and keys, this track really has a bit of a drive to it, but it's not over the top and still showcases a very colorful approach to the songwriting.
One of the things that you can soak in right off the bat is the fact that this is an artist who is in love with what he's doing. The craft of producing and building sounds to give moods and moments is really what this is all about, and that element of it comes through in shining colors.
Everything about this track has a way of building by the time it gets to the middle and then towards the end. This happens semi-often throughout the record as well. There are a lot of songs that start in one place and end in another, bigger space.
All of this is coming from producer Dexter Froud, who is at the helm of the project, and you can tell that for Dexter, this is a passion project from the get-go.
I can hear songs that I grew up with in some of these tracks, so for Dexter, it's probably the same. It's like a love letter to the music he grew up with, along with more.
Tracks like "Believe" showcase fun, flavorful grooves along with spacious synths and keys to bring atmosphere and underbelly, and it sounds like this that you can certainly hear a certain kind of film or cinematic influence coming through.
"Phoenix" is one of my favorite songs, and I think it's mostly because this is one of the tracks where you can hear how Dexter is pulled into utilizing vintage samples in his music. Being able to grab old-school samples of vocals and things like that, and putting them into his world is really something that feels good to listen to.
It almost feels like he grabs a certain kind of samples that he wants to utilize, and then builds music around them. This is a song that feels that way and it works wonderfully because it really pulls you into this completely different space.
"Glowstick", the title track itself, is one of the best on the record. This one definitely has a certain kind of '80s movie montage scene feel going on. I myself am a huge collector of '80s and '90s VHS movies and can certainly tell you that this aesthetic is completely nailed on this track.
You have a little bit of a UK undertone, a fresh cinematic overtone, vintage warmth, and such attention to detail when choosing the kind of synth sounds that are being used.
You definitely tell he takes his time with choosing the right sounds so he can build his songs in a particular manner.
"Zoetrope" is a track that ends the record and closes it out. This was beautifully done because you have some cultural flair, different kinds of keys and synth tones, and a washing kind of flowing approach that really works wonderfully here.
This is a record that was produced with fun, a lot of heart, and certainly with plenty of classic influences involved. For me, listening to some of these songs was giving me bouts of nostalgia.
I dropped myself right into this record, and it's because the first track was able to really sort of swallow me up and take me into this different world for a little chunk of time. That open door let me into the rest of the record and there are some amazing different directions that the tracks take at times, they branch off in certain kinds of aspects, but really this is something that is again, a pure passion project from a producer that definitely has a love for creating dance, electronic, and blending elements of other pop, hip hop, and R&B into the mix to give it a tasteful and colorful overtone.
Definitely check this out and don't skip around. This is the kind of record you listen to all the way through from start to finish, in one shot.
I also suggest listening to this record with headphones so you can really soak in everything that's going on. There are a lot of layers and textures happening, and it's best taken in with a pair of headphones so you don't miss out.
Take a listen to this now so you can hear exactly where I'm coming from.
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