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TALCO has always impressed me in the past with their albums and concerts. The shows were one big party. People danced, sang, sweated, and after 90 minutes, everyone was more than happy.
The last releases (Gran Gala, 2012, review available at the link: http://www.ramtatta.de/s/reviews/f/details/id/4100/, La Cretina Comedia, 2010, review available at the link: http://www.ramtatta.de/s/reviews/f/details/id/3655/) not only thrilled me. So it was no surprise that the band moved from several concerts at the Berlin S.O. 36 to the much larger Astra Kulturhaus. And even there, thanks to the moderate pricing policy of the organizer, it was packed.
TALCO stands for fast, extremely melodic music with politically and socially engaged lyrics. They are among the most well-known Italian bands in the subculture, if not the most famous band by now. An album every two years, extensive touring, and concerts full of energy have made the band increasingly well-known, and rightly so.
I hardly need to explain the band's unique style. Just this much: it is extremely danceable, and anyone who doesn't move is either deaf or paralyzed. Music that gets into your bones.
There are twelve tracks on "Silent Town." A title that immediately makes me think of my hometown Berlin. The streets are getting quieter, the subculture is being taken away more and more, and fewer people are engaging with the scene. People would rather grow a hipster beard, hang out in some craft beer scene pubs, and feel great with a half-liter of beer for €6.00. Where is the anger? Where have the rebels gone? Where is the engagement?
Of course, the title can also be understood differently, as a city where nothing is happening anymore and with which one has nothing to do, but where one grew up and lived.
The lyrics of the Italians from Marghera, near Venice, go in this slightly melancholic, life-experienced direction on this album. It is probably the course of things, the passage of time that gnaws at us all and makes us reflective.
However, this does not mean that the band has changed its musical style. They still play fast, melodic, and virtuosic. Punk, ska, South American influences, skate punk, hardcore... just punk-chanka, as TALCO themselves call their style.
Upon first listening, the record seemed even faster than the previous albums. I even had some critical thoughts. After several listens, I must say that while the album is still fast, very fast even, the critical thoughts have vanished. I had to get used to it a bit, probably because TALCO hadn't come out of my home speakers for a long time.
"Silent Town" has turned out to be another great album. Just like the last albums. This might also be a future curse, as the bar is now set so high that it could be difficult to make the following albums even better.
In 2016, there will be another big tour by the band, and this time also again in the venerable halls of S.O. 36 in Berlin. Early ticket purchase is recommended.
