Jul 09 2009 10:47 am,
Billy Talent
‘Billy Talent III’
(At lantic)
Billy Talent are a consistent bunch. And the band may be equally at home on a bill with emo bands or punk outfits, but the Canadian quartet’s sharp, distinctive sound stands out a mile from any of their peers. That’s thanks in large part to Ben Kowalewicz’s belly-aching vocals – it might be true that his desperate, hollered squawk is more than capable of dividing the public on a marmite-like scale, but the fact that Billy Talent have some unique personality on show is significant. The presence of such backbone lends the group’s trademark dark-nursery-rhyme style a real, if abstract, honesty, and makes ‘Billy Talent III’ a compelling listen.
Johnny K
