July Talk – “Certain Father”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 9

Pairs Well With…Tom Waits, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Hospitality 

OEB is thrilled to see old favorite July Talk back at SXSW this year. Their new album, Remember Never Before, retains the band’s dynamic yet dissonant bluesy rock and roll. On the new album, however, more songs have experimental segments. For example, “Certain Father” features pysch and Kraut rock breaks that add texture to July Talk’s signature back and forth guy/girl vocals. Also, in contrast to their earlier work, here Peter Dreimanis’s deep gravel starts as a mere threatening whisper and it’s Leah Fay Goldstein who elevates to a near scream. Finally, while the album overall retains the punk energy that makes a live July Talk set so exciting, there are a few tracks that are more subdued in tone, proving that the pandemic darkness affected even this powerful band’s songwriting (see “Hold,” Repeat,” and “When You Stop”). We are looking forward to seeing how July Talk plays some of these more complex song live, and perhaps, we’ll again close out the Southbye, as we did in 2014, with a raucous set by a band that always delivers live. (David Zlotnick)