QRO has loved Elizabeth Powell’s Land of Talk for a long time, from the early days as part of the second wave from Canada to the long absence before 2017’s Life After Youth (QRO review). She can balance louder indie-rock shred with quiet, heartfelt intimacy. For Indistinct Conversations, Powell leans into the intimate.
From the beautiful, airy opener “Diaphanous”, Indistinct Conversations is a softer, more personal, even conversational album. While there are louder moments like the dark times of “Look to You” and pressing “A/B Futures”, primarily it is Powell imparting her feelings up close, such as the compelling heartbreak of “Compelled” (QRO review) and the stripped touch to “Now You Want to Live in the Light”. There’s even actual overheard conversations in “Look to You (Intro)” and the titular closer.
Longtime Land of Talk fans may want a bit more of Powell’s rock side, particularly these days where you need to yell to keep from falling apart, but this is an intimate Conversation.