Indicative of their place within the playlist generation of today, Dead Owls are not scared of mixing wide ranging influences from the indie rock spectrum over a single release.
The Perth duo’s hard-hitting debut Small Talk gathers studio versions of their live show favourites into an energetic and highly eclectic package.
Opener “Only Child” brilliantly channels Arcade Fire’s signature audacious rock anthem formula and adds its own Australian touches. Although it’s grittier than anything the aforementioned band has done it still packs that bound-for-the-heavens feel that all the best Arcade Fire songs have. Considering the amount of imitators that have cropped up since 2004’s Funeral, remarkably few of them have pulled it off as well as Dead Owls.
Nothing else on Small Talk reaches those same heights. The remaining tracks blend hardcore and pop punk influence with indie favourites.
Frontman Jordan Tjhung has a knack for impersonation and does an excellent Brandon Flowers or Conor Orberst, but one of the reasons “Only Child” stands out is because he never tries to be Win Butler, he is simply himself. He has a lot to offer, rendering the impersonations of the rest of the record completely unnecessary.
The instrumentation is not shy about shouting its influences either, especially the distinctive Sonic Youth guitar drawl of “Inside My Head Again.”
Small Talk is the mark of a band trying to figure out what works best for them and luckily they’ve found a perfect fit in “Only Child”. Their willingness to experiment and their boundless enthusiasm have put this band firmly on the path to doing something great.
