ALBUM REVIEW: ENOUGH OF THE SWEET TALK

BY: KAYLA CARDONA

Over the last several years, Lime Cordiale, led by Australian brothers Oli and Louis Leimbach, have managed to bring some excitement back into the indie pop genre which has long suffered from oversaturation. Their meteoric rise began in 2017 with the success of their debut album Permanent Vacation, which garnered them celebrity status not only amongst their fellow Aussies, but would also grab the attention of mainstream stars such as Post Malone who would reach out for an official partnership with the group.

The duo has now returned with their latest full length album Enough Of The Sweet Talk, an amalgamation of some of their more successful singles released over the past two years and a loose concept of a relationship that has run its course to tie them all together. With most of the writing chops being left to brothers Oli and Louis, along with collaborator Dave Hammer who has either songwriting or production credits on pretty much every track on the record, the group suffers from a few key flaws on their latest release; a lack of cohesion, simplistic writing, and a lack of any true grit or creative exploration.

The album is divided with the use of four spoken word interludes, with each chapter reflecting the stages of a relationship, with the first two tracks focusing on the idolisation which comes with a new or prospective lover. Sonically, these early tracks ring hopeful and poppy, as do the lyrics with a childlike simplicity.

With this, the album sets the stage for a promising listen, but the following track ‘Facts Of Life’ highlights a few flaws with the record. The track rings reminiscent and somewhat nostalgic of the mid-2010’s explosion of indie pop and rock, but in the decade since, as the genre has propelled itself into the mainstream and established its own pioneers, it has simultaneously become oversaturated and is past the need for another indie pop record that brings little new to

the table. Drawing heavy inspiration from the likes of Cage the Elephant or a Vampire Weekend, with vocal inflections akin to an Alex Turner and Harry Styles, brothers Oli and Louis struggle to create any tracks that truly stand out from one another. With much of the record falling into the same sonic monotony of catchy, rhythmic tracks like ‘Facts Of Life’, the record falls flat in what appears to be a rather stagnant depiction of the ups and downs of a relationship. The static only gets disrupted with the exception being ‘When I’m Losing It’, as the duo arrives in a new space with melancholic trumpet, a soft acoustic guitar, and intimate, yet uncomplicated lyrics giving a hint of true vulnerability, though it immediately shies away from it as it progresses into the next track, sounding all the same as the others.

The track ‘Happiness Season’ sets the tone for most of the critique of the album as its introduction states to give “this story some space for imagination” – a lingering feeling that continues throughout a mild performance of the relationship of two presupposed adults, though its simplicity and lack of tension and depth rings closer to that of teenagers. The record continues to serve as a reminder that although tried and true cookie-cutter methods of catchy pop lyrics, traditional songwriting structure, stylistic 80’s synths, and indie rock guitars can aid a series of singles… they no longer guarantee sustained success. At best, Enough of the Sweet Talk is a mild compilation of songs that can serve as the basis for a classic beach trip playlist with its catchy melodies but at worst, the project becomes one long monotonous track, each song lacking its own identity with only its spoken word interludes to break them apart structurally.