Album Of The Week: Land Of Talk’s Life After Youth

Montreal musician Elizabeth Powell has a captivating style. Her band Land Of Talk has a fuzzed-out rock sound that touches on both shoegaze and alternative. Her lyrics are poetic and personal, while her voice adds an operatic dimension that’s spellbinding. Land Of Talk’s third album, Life After Youth, which came out on May 19, encompasses all of those qualities and more. It’s a fantastic record that shows a revival of Powell’s songwriting and the band itself.

Life After Youth is the result of Land Of Talk getting back together after going on hiatus in 2011. Powell initially wanted to take a break from touring, but then it became a struggle to get back on track after she lost her demos due to her laptop crashing beyond repair. The suddenness of the circumstance put her at a loss and brought her musical drive to a painful halt. Reuniting with original Land Of Talk drummer Bucky Wheaton helped Powell get out of the rut, and it started the path toward the band creating their latest album. It’s an amplified, emotional cavalcade — a very visible outlet for Powell releasing a decade’s worth of angst.

Music can be therapeutic for both the player and the listener. The player clears their mind as they strum, make a beat and produce a sound, while the listener finds satisfaction and clarity through what they hear. It’s quite a beautiful thing when you think about it. Life After Youth is the epitome of that, which gives it meaning beyond the album itself. For a closer look, let’s take a dive into my top tracks off of the Album Of The Week.

“Yes You Were” heads right into a riff at the start. It’s an interesting opening track for the album in the sense that there are no frills and it has a raw structure. Anchored by a downbeat, “Inner Lover” has a smooth tone and a minimal structure that highlights Powell’s vocal talents. Another great example of Powell’s singing is “This Time.” The track is a bit catchy and there’s a pleasant feeling that comes with it.

Land Of Talk will be embarking on a tour in June that’ll be starting at O Patro Vys in Montreal on June 12. The following night, New England music fans can check out Powell and the band at Brighton Music Hall in Allston, Mass. Other notable dates for the band include a spot in the Sled Island Music Festival in Calgary on June 24 and the Wolfe Island Music Festival located in the Ontario town of the same name on August 12. When you get a chance to check out Land Of Talk live on stage, grab a copy of their new album. It’s an invigorating one that gives off all of the right feelings.

Order & Buy Life After Youth via Land Of Talk’s Bandcamp: landoftalk.bandcamp.com/album/life-after-youth; Like Land Of Talk on Facebook: facebook.com/landoftalk