THE COLOUR OF SPRING

On The Colour of Spring the synthpop Talk Talk had previously been known for mingles with the classic jazz influences which would inform the band's later avant-garde experiments to produce a baroque pop masterpiece which hints at the post-rock prototypes the band would soon invent. Paul Webb's vocals combine with the choir to provide a perfect balance between slick mainstream appeal and hints of something more than that, whilst the intricate, layered musical backing already shows the combination of improvisation and perfectionism which would be the key to the band's later work. An intriguing and enchanting album, and perhaps the Talk Talk album which reaches the closest compromise between accessibility and experimentalism.