EP Review: Self Talk Debut EP ‘Seeing What I Want To See’
Self Talk is the resulting amalgamation of Melbourne local acts Ceres and Skyways Are Highways. The 5-piece have just released their debut EP ‘Seeing What I Want To See’ and it’s honestly an incredible accomplishment for the relative new kids on the block.
I mean, you probably should know before you continue reading this that I listen to a lot of pop punk and probably an equal lot of indie music, and this 5-track combines elements of both really well. So I might be a bit bias…
See, I didn’t really know I needed a Letters To Cleo meets Motion City Soundtrack meets Paramore hybrid until I heard ‘Seeing What I Want To See’. Opening track Hypocrite is upbeat and jumpy with punchy drums and vocals that are clear and emotive while still somehow being beautiful. There’s something a little bit raw and 90s about the song, and the high-pitched guitar riff is so stupidly catchy. It’s a great song, if any of this catches your eye I highly suggest you give it a listen.
Second track Dumb Luck has a synthesiser which reminds me a lot of Motion City Soundtrack with energetic drums following along, playing a unique beat. The vocals on this song are super 90’s powerful-female in style and delivery. The bass is also super cool, filling the track with clever little runs and not just holding down the root notes, which is really refreshing to hear.
Clean Washing is honestly probably my least favourite song on the EP, but I don’t mean that in a bad way because it’s still a good song. You know those albums where there’s nothing you skip but there’s one song you just like a little bit less? That’s like this EP. It’s so solid, that even my least favourite song is still really good. It’s very boppy and happy, and the layering of guitars is really lovely with both clean and distorted guitars present while the bass continues to build its own line underneath them.
“The extra layer of synths really add to this track, building a really full sound, and there’s a lot of great energy flying around.”
Fourth song Untitled has some great lyrics. I’m a bit of a sucker for similes and metaphors in songs and this track has some that create beautiful imagery. It opens with a single guitar playing and the line “You breathe like a tide that’s coming in”. The extra layer of synths really add to this track, building a really full sound, and there’s a lot of great energy flying around.
Closing track Coffee & Wine is my favourite song, lyrically at least, on the EP. It’s also the most stripped back instrumentally of all the tracks, with a softness to the instruments and an acoustic guitar in place of the usually overdriven strumming.
The lyrics are beautiful and honest, with the song opening with the line “Sleeping like a log on a fire”, and holding other gems such as “Tell me what you really mean, I’ve gotta stop seeing what I want to see”, and “I’m too damn empty to sink, and I’m too tired to swim, so what do I do?”. It’s just a really raw, lovely piece of writing.
If I haven’t made it clear enough in this review, I really enjoyed this EP. It’s a fantastic debut, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what else this band creates in the future. Do yourself a favour and give ‘Seeing What I Want To See’ a listen!
Read our Q & A with lead vocalist Stacey Cicivelli HERE
