Land Of Talk: One For The Buzz Bin
Cloak and Cipher
Elizabeth Powell's charming, willowy voice helps make Land of Talk's "Cloak and Cipher" utterly intoxicating. courtesy of the artist hide caption
Tuesday's Pick
Song: "Cloak and Cipher"
Artist: Land of Talk
CD: Cloak and Cipher
Genre: Pop-Rock
On her new album Cloak and Cipher, Land of Talk's Elizabeth Powell revives the Golden Age of '90s alt-rock perfectly, fusing the earthy vibe of Lilith Fair pop with the crunchy, lo-fi guitar sound of Belly or the Breeders. It's a shame that MTV's Buzz Bin isn't on air -- Land of Talk would've totally been in heavy rotation.
On the disc's standout title track, Land of Talk fuses punky garage-rock guitar riffs, a plonky bass groove and ramshackle beats with Powell's charming, willowy voice. But the chorus is particularly killer: Her angelic, multi-tracked vocals flutter about like a children's choir over jazzy piano chords and a tricked-out shuffling beat. For her part, Powell seems more focused on music and tone rather than words -- her cryptic vocal delivery, masked by a fuzz effect, seems to concern candle-making and "blues choirs" -- but the tonal qualities of her voice help make "Cloak and Cipher" utterly intoxicating.