Day 171: Talk Talk – Spirit of Eden
I have had a long week and it’s only Wednesday. I found myself desperately flicking through more best album of all time-lists to find something that’s so good that it helps me slog through the rest of the week, and today it was time for Talk Talk’s classic album and post-rock pioneer record, Spirit of Eden.
Album cover courtesy of Parlophone
Talk Talk was formed in London in 1981 by singer/pianist/guitarist Mark Hollis, bassist Paul Webb, drummer Lee Harris and keyboard player Simon Brenner.The first few Talk Talk albums were mainly synth-heavy ‘80s pop, following the footsteps of bands like Duran Duran and Roxy Music, but they ended up taking a more experimental approach to their third album, The Colour of Spring.
On their fourth album, Spirit of Eden, the gloves were fully off and the band embraced the artistic direction of jazz and ambient-inspired art rock, so much so that their label unsuccessfully sued them for making something that’s not commercially viable.
I’m not exactly a fan, but Spirit of Eden is not at all what I excepted based on what I’ve heard from Talk Talk. I thought they did synths and “It’s My Life,” but this is something else. The album was mostly recorded with the band improvising together in a dark room, and I think you can actually hear that. There’s a huge emotional impact from these smaller, more careful sounds, which builds anticipation about what’s coming next. It doesn’t really properly take off until “Desire”, but the minimalist approach is what makes it so interesting to listen to.
It’s often kind of hard to make out the lyrics, which is a big part of the listening experience for me, but the lack of clarity almost turns Hollis’ vocals into more of an instrument than a voice. There’s also a whole lot of organ, which is always a bonus. Throughout, the album keeps you on your toes, never really knowing what’s coming next.
I had a strange experience listening to this. I kept feeling this sort of nostalgia right from the end of the opening track, “The Rainbow,” but I don’t know what for since I’m almost sure I’ve never heard it before and it’s not strictly speaking like anything else. It sounds like something that should be playing when you’re exploring some sort of labyrinthine building in a dream. Maybe the familiar feeling comes from being reminded of the feeling of taking psychedelics, but I don’t know, that’s my best theory.
Surprisingly, this makes it to the top of the things I’ve discovered through this project, it just wasn’t what I was expecting at all. It’s not something you can describe too well, it’s something you’ll have to listen to for yourself, preferably alone at night in the dark. Spirit of Eden is a 10/10.