Five Ways To Catch A Cold

Eagle & Talon "In Manila"

Kim from Eagle & Talon sings in a way that always reminds me a bit of Mary Timony, and so when I first heard this song, a line from a Helium song came to mind: "Cos we're going out without our guitars..." The band played around with keyboards a bit on their previous record, but that sounded a bit tentative to me alongside their guitar-centric tracks. "In Manila" is all cheap keyboards and thin beats, but it also has the urgency and tunefulness of their best work. I like the way the vocals and the music seem slightly at odds -- it sounds as if she's going through some serious emotional drama while stuck in some environment that's meant to be very cheerful and innocuous. Buy it directly from Eagle & Talon.