Chalk Talk
The Food Chain (2010)
Brian Shultz
Chalk Talk do a jangly, somewhat spazzy '90s emo/indie sound that puts them in good company with peers like Snowing and Glocca Morra, but there's something about the band's The Food Chain EP that makes them stand out a bit on their own.
The Food Chain is certainly raw in some respects, from the production tone to the fussy drums. But there's a ton of promise here. They do a swell contrast with restraint in their overall delivery and loose-sounding, throaty "whoa-oh"s and gang vocals; dainty guitar riffs dangle about, too.
Moments in the opening title track resemble Robbers, while "Laundry" gets by with pleading vocal yelps and fuzzy guitars, but with a rhythm that keeps it flowing steadily. There's a feeling of spontaneity infecting the enlivened "Two Balls and a Paddle," and quirky hooks loading up "Pinecone."
This EP is scrappy as hell but has a deliberation about it that makes it an interesting practice in juxtaposition. Definitely a worthwhile time.