- 2024-03-25
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MUSIC
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Donate to support families affected by the crisis in Ukraine ➔ Close Talker Releases New Album “The Sprawl”
Canadian alt-rock trio Close Talker, consisting of Will Quiring (vocals/guitar), Matthew Kopperud (guitar/keyboards), and Christopher Morien (drums), released their fifth studio album “The Sprawl” on March 22, 2024.
It is their first album in five years since the 2019 album “How Do We Stay Here?”.
The album comprises a 11-track, featuring a guest appearance from Nêhiyaw singer-songwriter Wyatt C. Louis.
“The Sprawl” accounts for the years 2013-2019 in Close Talker: six years of full-on writing, recording, touring, rinse, wash, repeat.
The band said of the album, “The Sprawl is a time capsule that chronicles the various feelings that surfaced during the aggressive years of the band between 2013-2019. We were young and trying to take over the world, and we seldom took time to reflect or understand the effects of our ambition. We wouldn't trade any of it, but discovering how you want to grow and evolve as a person is never bad, but rarely painless. We had decided to take a beat and tap the breaks; to reflect, and to grow. We've grown a lot as people and as a band. Our families have certainly grown in size, and that new perspective is profound. However busy life gets, we've learned that this band is a part of our DNA and stopping altogether was just never realistic.”- They continued, “This album is accompanied by a fresh appreciation for how special the band is to us, and it compounds when we get to share it with people. We're grateful that after all these years, we still get so fired up about music and being creative. The Sprawl marks a distinct shift for us altering the foundation of the band, while knowing it is truly a part of us, and letting it go just isn't on the table. The album does reference some turbulence and doubts in past seasons, but ultimately it celebrates us arriving here, on the other side, with loud guitars and full hearts.”
The band shared on social media, “The Sprawl is out today. Putting out a record that you’ve spent 4 years of your life working on brings a lot of weird feelings. But this morning, while drinking some celebratory mimosas, Matt asked how we were all feeling, and the only word we could really muster up was ‘thankful.’ This album marks a distinct shift for us altering the foundation of the band, while knowing it is truly a part of us, and letting it go just isn’t on the table. It references times of turbulence and doubts, but ultimately, it celebrates us arriving here, on the other side, with loud guitars and full hearts. And for that, we’re truly thankful.” -
The band explained some tracks for the album.
“Exodus”
“For years the band sat firmly on the front burner taking precedence over nearly everything. We chased opportunities, often spreading ourselves thin and not always taking time to recognize collateral damage. To be fair, we loved nearly every minute of it. 'Exodus' leans into the quiet confidence that comes with realizing, maybe you're not content. It doesn't have to come shrouded with guilt, but rather comes with a sense of peace; just being self aware of your weaknesses, even if that weakness is ambition. Discovering how you want to grow is never bad, but also rarely painless.”
“Tall Boy” featuring Wyatt C. Louis
“For ‘Tall Boy’, we wanted to capture a performance that feels together, even though we're all currently living in different places - including our good friend Wyatt C. Louis who is featured on vocals. We recorded separately in each of our own living rooms, and the song and video came together very comfortably. Our director Dale Bailey compiled the takes and contrasted it against footage of their documentary, All Aboard.”
“From Dark to Lightness”
“From Dark to Lightness was the first song that took shape when the three of us joined back up at Chris's cabin late summer of 2020. It actually came together quite quickly and I think that's due to us not wanting to overcrowd it. It was written on a guitar and translated well in its simplest form, so we tried to stay true to that as much as possible, while still pushing the envelope when needed. The story told is quite literal so we wanted it unfold clearly without anything getting in its way. Matt refers to it as our 'journal entry anthem' and I think that suits it well.”
Photo by Nicolette Plett - source : Apple Music
