When billing as power pop punk, the new single from Toronto’s Talk Show Host might seem like an oxymoron, but in many ways, it’s a fairly accurate description. ‘Crisis Actors’ features the kind of buoyant vocals – and vocal filtering – you’ve come to expect from so much twenty first century pop punk, but musically, the track comes with much bigger boots.
Its “power” comes from a much bigger guitar riff. That riff might not be as huge as, say, classic works by fellow Canadians Sainte Catherines, but there’s something about its overall presence which is still occasionally reminiscent. The way Talk Show Host balance on a tightrope between the two styles throughout the four minutes, proving that melodies can retain an obviously angry edge, yet remain wholly accessible. Glossing over the fact that the chorus is merely a redressed ‘Frere Jacques’, it still more than provides a catchy as hell hook while the band drive their huge riff ever forward.
Complimenting the music is an incredibly fun video. The fashion for lyric videos has become somewhat tedious, with so many clips put together in a hurry, merely to make a YouTube clip vaguely more interesting. Talk Show Host have gone the extra mile. Their twist on the lyric video throws the listener right back into the realms of 1984, of ZX Spectrum and BBC computer games; a world where basic programming brought a generation of teenagers endless excitement.
Check out the new track and video below.