Personnel: Lori Paradise (vocals, washboard); Jesse Lagace (guitar); Keith Breit (keyboards); Sam King (drums).
Recording information: The Gas Station, Gibraltar Point, Toronto Islands, Cana.
Photographers: Adam Robertson; Lori Paradise; Sam King.
The debut long-player from the Ontario-based rockers, Talking Loud offers up a sweaty, no-frills amalgam of Canadian soul, stormy, psych-blasted blues rock, and Bayou-blasted boogie rock. Led by powerhouse frontwoman/electric washboard enthusiast Lori Paradis, who sounds like Cowboy Junky Margo Timmins possessed by Grace Slick, Sulfur City tear through a fiery 11-track set. At times, Paradis and guitarist Jesse Lagace come off like a juke joint version of Exene Cervenka and John Doe, especially on the blazing Celtic-stomp gem "Raise the Hammer," and the band tears through each song with the nervy ease of seasoned barflies at an Irish wake. ~ James Christopher Monger