Talk Show - The Politics of Passion

The Politics of Passion certainly has a polarising cover. One might assume it contains lolicore or an uninspired selection of vapourwave. Fans of industrial metal will be pleasantly surprised to find out it contains neither. Released September 3, 2021, The Politics of Passion was a fun surprise.

The album opens with a barrage of distorted drums and abrasive synthetics on Polluted in Babylon. The vocals glide over the top, while interweaving glitch subtly takes precedent. The track eases into Aqua Faex well, an otherwise more subdue take on the madness. Where the second track speciously focuses on its vocals too much, Night (Renewed By Fire) gets the balance right. The song is unapologetically Nine Inch Nails right down to the songwriting and executes it commendably well. The same could be said about Nothing Forever!, which does an excellent job at bringing up the energy even further. The two remixes at the end of the tape are an odd choice, but fitting. They add spontaneity to the track-listing, and manage to standout due to the first track’s unique vocal delivery and the second track’s exquisite electronic guitar. The songwriting, however, is lacklustre; certainly enjoyable, though questionably filler.

Talk Show’s The Politics of Passion does what it does impeccably well, though I’m not sure it does enough to stand out outside its zany cover. The album’s runtime works in its favour; hardly a wasted moment. Production is mint; both sharp and gritty. The inclusion of synthetics is tremendous; they pack an extendable amount of energy and flavour. It mostly lacks in the composition department, where it plays it safe. A downside considering their sound is nothing new. Nonetheless, it does everything else seemingly well. Let’s hope their next project does something unexpected.

Good

Listen to it here:

https://talkshowtv.bandcamp.com/album/the-politics-of-passion

Talk Show - The Politics of Passion