Talk Talk
Spirit Of Eden

THE REVIEW

Talk Talk are often remembered for their synth-pop hits included in various '80s revival collections, particularly for the iconic "It's My Life" and "Such A Shame," which marked the new romantic era but are a small thing compared to the lesser-known treasures of their later discography.

This "Spirit Of Eden" dates back to 1988 and marks a distinct shift in their sound. Now their music sounds like a Salvador Dalì painting, with instruments weaving slow-moving textures that dissolve into the air, the sounds seem to compel the second hand to move less frantically to redeem the impatient spirit of our time.

The opening "The Rainbow" immediately reveals its whisper of a still life, with shy and subdued instruments that, instead of chasing each other, play at lightly brushing against each other without ever fully touching, caressed by the velvety and seductive voice of Mark Hollis, who truly seems to have found his natural place.
The same enchantment is repeated in the subsequent "Eden," formed from the ashes of the previous song, transporting the listener into the same trance state. This time we are closer to the classic song form, with a "chorus" that resembles an explosion with a silencer, so muffled and dreamlike... then everything naturally implodes, disappearing with the same grace with which it appeared.
If "Desire" maintains a similar structure, "Inheritance" reveals a closer kinship with jazz, with its brushed drums and a more pronounced free-form tone.
But Talk Talk also knows how to offer us the sweetest themes, like those found in "I Believe In You," a lullaby of paradisiacal beauty. The album closes with "Wealth," the shyest track of the lot, and therefore the most suitable for sliding the listening experience of this masterpiece where memories and evocations rest, ready to move your fingers to place the CD in your player again countless times.