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Everyone’s talking about Talking to Walls...

“Fucken givin it,” reads a live review from Massachusetts entertainment magazine Southcoast 24/7, one of the many weeklies and blogs that sang the praises of Talking to Walls and their support of the 2006 album “Naked.” Launching with a full week of media coverage in one of the largest cities in New England, New Haven’s Talking to Walls made the jump from a solo singer-songwriter going toe-to-toe with punk bands to a dynamic group effort, featuring Brian Kelly, Matt Krupa and Nat Webb:

“Loose, quick-tempo chord progressions recall the sloppy splendor of The Replacements; quieter moments bring to mind a more mature Dashboard Confessional.” (Play Magazine)

“Talking to Walls makes Cure influenced pop songs laden with dark charm.” (The Register)

“The theatrical earnestness in (Kelly’s) voice is pretty endearing.” (The New Haven Advocate)

Playing shows in Boston, Philadelphia, LA, and the nation in between, the band’s relentless live performances garnered them fans all over. In an era of mindless friend adding on MySpace and Facebook, Talking to Walls got to know much of their audience the old fashioned way— show by show. "Naked" eventually got producers at MTV to come calling, unsolicited, seeking music for their developing shows.

Fast forward to 2008. With a stated goal of either making “a timeless, deep-listening record” or just breaking up, the band spent three months with producer Greg Giorgio (who's manned the boards for such bands as Interpol, The National, Mates of State, and Tokyo Police Club) to stake out some new territory. The result is “We Were Not So Tall,” slated for release later in 2009.

But before the full album drops, Talking to Walls is making the rounds on the East Coast club circuit with a mighty EP that proves good things come in small packages. "The Megan EP" is a five-song collection that gives fans a taste of what's to come from "We Were Not So Tall" while letting them hear three songs that didn't make the full record. Early reviews of "The Megan EP" are in, and the critics like what they hear: "Talking to Walls has taken it to the next level," writes Mike Sembos of the New Haven Advocate. "Greg Giorgio makes this disc shine, and exemplifies what a good artist/producer pairing can do for a band willing to work hard." And the boys from TtW are working hard, playing up and down the East Coast with new bassist Jeff Marron, who ably fills Pete Shindler's shoes and adds two whole strings and lush vocal harmonies.

So what's next? "We Were Not So Tall" offers 12 tracks of rock-and-roll stories, from the driving indie glam of “Running Out,” the Smashing Pumpkins-meets-Buffalo Tom of “Walkaway,” the prog-inflected slam of “Came to You,” to “Tomorrow,” which could pass as a b-side from U2’s “The Joshua Tree.” The album will also feature contributions from members of Zox, The Alternate Routes, Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers and many more. Live orchestras? Check. Three part vocal harmonies? Check. Guitar soundscapes and ebows? Bagpipes, accordions and atmospheric headphone treats? Instantly catchy tunes with tight arrangements? Game, set and match.

Talking to Walls is sponsored by Godin Guitars and Spectraflex Cables.