A Review of In Another World: The Four Seasons of Talk Talk by Graeme Thomson

I kept my eye out for this book ever since I heard of it, scanning bookstores in recent visits around the US. But I never had any luck. So on a trip to London I set aside an afternoon to explicitly seek it out. Having recently rediscovered the band’s deeper catalogue and learned that Talk Talk was far more than a synth-pop “one hit wonder” who occasionally appeared on 80s playlists, I wanted to learn more about the band and their enigmatic frontman Mark Hollis than I could get from a simple Google search or the scant interviews on YouTube could provide. I got lucky at the FOPP media store on Charing Cross and went home a happy reader, because this book is quite extraordinary. Masterfully conceived and beautifully executed, it tells a story over four season and four albums, more a memoir of musical evolution than a full biography of a band or its members. Each album’s conceptualization and elaborate construction are explored in fine detail and passionate reverence, though it doesn’t escape the nicks and scrapes that occurred along the way, the strained relationships and maddening methods used to capture moments of spontaneous inspiration created by many collaborative artists in order to stitch together songs that fall between pop art and jazzy, orchestral rock (or early modes of "post-rock"). It also explores the silence that follows, the dissolution of connection and communication, the peace that can come with that, but also the sadness and desire for something to fill that void. For those who know the band only from their “It’s My Life” hit, this is a great place to start learning more, as it picks up right where that peak of fame crests. And for those who already know the albums that come after, this book can only serve to enrich your love and understanding of those intricate creations. Well worth the time to read, even if it requires a flight to London to grab a copy. At least you’re guaranteed a great read for the flight back!

by James Duncan