Track Review: Escape // SCREENTALK
Influenced by the likes of White Lies, Radiohead, The Killers and The Foals, UK-based SCREENTALK is an edgy contemporary band with a powerful sound. Blending the skills of Sean Currie (vocals), Sam Varney (guitar), Gianpaolo Carnevali (bass), Stuart McNaughton (keys/synth) and Dan Moore (drum), the innovative fivesome are making their mark on the UK indie scene. Featured in notable blogs like The Other Side Reviews, Sinusoidal Music, Roadie Music, RGM and Edgar Allan Poets, SCREENTALK is receiving critical acclaim from across the globe. The latest addition to their discography is the single ‘Escape’.
Following their indie-pop track ‘Amplified’, SCREENTALK adopts a more flowing and mellow sound in ‘Escape’. Recorded with Kurran Karbal in Birkenhead, Wirral, the track has a melodic arrangement bringing together old-school 80s synth-pop and modern-day indie-rock making it suitable for all audiences. The combination of pounding drums, dynamic guitars and smooth synths weave a sonic tapestry with a somewhat hazy ambience. What I find intriguing about this group and ‘Escape’ is their ability to make the music upbeat but retain a melancholic wistfulness in the sound. It’s like jumping up and dancing while sitting back and pondering stuff.
While the melody is spine-chillingly intoxicating, it is the poignancy of the lyricism that shows SCREENTALK’s depth. The band shares that ‘Escape’ “focuses on the things that make us feel unsafe at night” – something all of us have considered at some point. The inner turmoil, fear, desperation and angst are clear in the instrumentation; however, Sean’s vocals seem to add an extra something to the track. His moving vocals exude fragility, sensitivity and a haunting sentimentality that hits you right between the eyes leaving you terrified but also calmed in a strange sense.
Described by XS Noize and Rock n Load Magazine as “Liverpool’s latest indie darlings”, SCREENTALK is already building a loyal following. If ‘Escape’ is anything to go by, I foresee a lot of success for these darling lads.