Talking is Hard is Walk the Moon’s second album and though it aims at being bright and bubbly, it mostly comes off as a money-grab.
There’s punchy guitars, catchy synth melodies and cheery sing-along choruses conveniently packaged in an extremely polished soundscape, but it lacks creativity to make anything stand out. The whole album sounds so cliché that one honestly wonders if the band is being ironic (see all of track #7: Shut up + Dance with Me).
That said, this album could be a lot worse than it is. “Different Colors,” the second single off the album, is the definition of a happy indie pop-rock song. “Up 2 U” is reminiscent of the Black Key’s style, with a distorted, bluesy guitar riff and a screamed-out chorus. “Work this Body,” with all the handclapping and its cool little piano melody, would be a decent party song.
Bottomline: Talking is Hard offers absolutely nothing new, though it might come as a relief to retail salespeople who are looking for a different album to play as background music.
Noteworthy songs: “Different Colors,” “Work This Body”
