I really dread having my therapist call me right at this point to ask what
I'm doing. My response would be "I'm presently enjoying Talking to Animals." This would lead to another session scheduled immediately for me, and an increase in my medications to Nurse Ratchet type levels. Point being, my response to his original question would be a completely sane and honest response.

"Talking to Animals" is a four-piece Boston-based rock band, and their
album, "Manhole," is a treat to listen to. Not only do they have a guitar heavy sound that combines the best elements of rock, pop, and grunge, but they also feature the amazing vocals of lead singer Juliana Nash. Her voice can not only shriek and wail with the best of them, but also is just as comfortable floating delicately like a ripple on the water.

The album begins on a strong note, with a catchy little riff by bass player Greg Porter, that is subsequently joined by a metronomic drum beat,
leading into  "So Blind." The song seems to be about the day after a night
of passion, and is reminiscent somewhat of a Poe or Portishead song.

All the songs, regardless of how experimental they get, are grounded in
melodic rock. This holds true in the second song, "Tomorrow Everyday." On this track, the listener is given their first glimpse into the range and motion of Juliana's voice, and also the heavy guitar sound that balances her singing perfectly.

"Mouth Tattoo" follows - a testimonial of sorts to romantic love, opening with the line "A kiss like a mouth tattoo burned in me now." It has a
plugged-in acoustic feel when it starts off, with the electric sound making an appearance later in the song. I was reminded of an Edie Brickell number when I listened to it the first time, because of the experimental and poetic quality of the lyrics.

The next track, "Breathe," provides a powerful yet slow-grooving lead-in to what is in my opinion the strongest track on the album, "The Kid Is Not All Right." It paints a sonic portrait of one of the New York City characters that lead singer Nash has seen in her time spent in the city. As she describes him, "He blinks at my surprise, his head is bent into this doorstep, I walked over him to get inside. That kid is not all right."

"Everlasting Ache" sounds to me like what would happen if the Breeders got a little funky with one of their songs. It has that power alterna-sound
reminiscent of the Breeders, but there is more of a groove to it. Both this
song, and the next song, "Rocks In His Head," are enjoyable listens. "Rocks In His Head" is another song that starts off with an acoustic sound, and demonstrates that the band is equally comfortable when they're not plugged in.

The song "Playground" is an angry song that tackles familiar ground in it's subject matter - a girl that is being abused mentally, physically, and sexually by her father. Though this issue has been covered before, Nash's lyrics are just graphic and serious enough to cut to the heart of the listener. She sings the lyrics as though fueled by her anger at the type of person that would put a helpless girl through such degredation.

The album gets back on a lighter note with the happy rocker "Turning Into Beautiful," capturing the spirit of the beginnings of a relationship. The album closes out with another New York City character portrait, "Little By Little," and the trite, but listenable, "Manhole."

Overall, the album is very entertaining. Fans who like good old-fashioned
melodic rock with just a bit of grunge and alterna-sound thrown in should
really enjoy this album - as should any fan of someone with obvious vocal
ability. The band is currently playing a few dates of the Lilith Fair tour,
and I look forward to catching them live sometime. Check it out. You won't be disappointed.