Talk To Your FriendsInternet holiday
Every now and then a group comes along and manages to stamp their own vision on to an established genre. Taking inspiration from early 00’s Brit garage and combining it with a light coating of that West Coast sound, internet holiday have come together to create something memorable.
From the opening track Last Dance, to the closing track Freakin’ Out, Talk To Your Friends is an exploration of sound and production. Mixing elements of R’n’B, Drum and Bass, and even hints of Rock, especially notable in the track Save Me, this EP showcases the songwriting and production talent of these three young lads from Birmingham, UK.
Starting out the EP opens with sounds of a low key basketball game that slowly gets covered by the sound of an auto tuned vocal line ‘Put your hands up’. This is worth noting as with the use of the auto tune effect it lulls you into a sense of expectation as to what is coming. But then, without warning, a panned and crunchy drum fill is used to thrust you into the body of the track where it takes on a more beat driven style, while retaining that easy feeling.
This feeling continues as it moves into the next track and is slowly built on as the music moves forwards. With each track you are taken down another rabbit hole of sound. From the sudden change in tempo and sound at the end of In My Head to the sudden emphasis on the guitar in Save Me, a song that slowly builds to an almost Rock anthem moment midway through. Each track presents its own little story and teases you into listening further.
Vocally each voice is added to through the use of either an auto tune effect or coating it in a slight fuzz that is tightened or toned down depending on the lyrics and intent of the singer. For example in Call U as the vocal begins to reminisce about someone it begins almost clear but then as it ventures into its frustration with the lack of communication the fuzz builds, mirroring this feeling, a trick used sparingly and with great accuracy.
Speaking to the intent and over all message of the EP, each track seems to explore the nature of communication and both what a joy and curse it can be. The opening track itself speaks to ‘Fake News’ and how social media, once seen as a safe place to communicate has turned into something quite the opposite for many people. This message however isn’t forced upon you, in fact it is gently raised, as though internet holiday are saying, ‘Hey, did you notice this? What do you think?’.
Overall, you will be left wanting more as the final track ends and like myself, you might find yourself playing it through, just one more time, then maybe one more. It just creates a bubble of smooth, easy listening that you can block out the white noise of the world with. As debut EP’s go, Talk To Your Friends is a great showcase of the talent within internet holiday and gives them a brilliant foundation to build from.
*You can listen to their track ‘Kids in Love’ on this Friday’s upcoming episode of Barstool Airplay or listen to the full EP here.
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