Review: Mirror Talk – Mirror Talk EP

It’s a testament to the times that it seems almost de rigeur nowadays for a group to have formed thanks to social media sites. However, it’s unlikely you’ll ever end up with as disparate a bunch as Mirror Talk: a gay father, a straightedge punk kid, a Nuyorican street kid, a Jazz-fusion session player and a college professor.

Their signature song, ‘The Mirror Talk Theme’ is a classic 1980’s concoction of smooth synths, swish harmonies, fretless bass and crashing percussion. The strident lead vocal and gleaming melody drags the song out of period pastiche though and it’s a great start for the quintet. ‘Choose Life’ is slightly cheesier but its hook makes the journey worthwhile. Hereafter there is a dip in quality control. The title to ‘Choose Death’ suggests darker undertones but it definitely operates at the camp end of disco whilst the verses to ‘Like Magic’ begin promisingly like Junior Boys but the chorus is more befitting of a boy band.

With so many different backgrounds involved, it’s not too surprising to wonder whether Mirror Talk want to be a cool synth band or an all out electro-disco outfit. As a consequence they end up somewhere in between and it’s unlikely individuals will enjoy all six tracks. For this reviewer, the icier side to the group is the one worth exploring further.

Web Sites:
Mirror Talk Facebook

Further Listening:
Delphic, M83