TALIA
Thugs They Look Like Angels
(Send The Wood Music)

“American Bride” blasts open TALIA’s new album Thugs They Look Like Angels. The overdriven bass from Alice Thomas, wailing guitar and growl from Nicolas Costa, and snap from Hervé Goardou’s drums stop and go often, leaving lots of space and a commercial, heavy chorus. “It’s Been Oh So Long” hits even harder, no stopping, with Costa barely able to get his vocals off in the song’s punk assault (again, Thomas’ bass features prominently, obviously one of the sonic strengths of this trio). “Self Induced Fever” is certainly on the poppier side of this band’s sound. I especially like the off beats Goardou manages and when Thomas comes in with her slight, but well-placed backing vocals in the truly melodic chorus, we have covered lots of territory in what, for me, is one of the better tunes. “The Flood” is a ballad built on strummed, soft electric. The chorus gets louder, but once again the band does well maintaining the melody. The double hit of the snapping, riff-tastic “Dog Blood” and the loud and noisy growl of “Bounty Killers” end Thugs They Look Like Angels. Costa’s guitar attack and vocals battle against Goardou’s nuclear attack on snare and cymbals here, ending the album even louder than we began. This Paris-via-L.A. trio certainly knows how to write and play. Thugs They Look Like Angels is loud, good fun.