Indistinct Conversations, the newest album by Montreal’s Land Of Talk, is true to its name. Lead singer Elizabeth Powell sings just traces of thought on what she’s feeling or trying to talk about throughout the record, never fully letting the listener know the story. 

On songs like “Weight of That Weekend,” Powell alludes to the emotional recovery from a significant string of days. “Now I feel it, sit with it while I wait by the moon,” she sings. “‘Cause I’m not sleeping.” 

There’s a melancholic, controlled edge to most of the songs, backed by Mark “Bucky” Wheaton on the drums and keys, and Christopher McCarron on bass, but it’s Powell’s voice that remains the most striking. It’s weightless, going both high and low, easily breezing along the tracks and never sounding out of place. Quieter, acoustic songs like the beautiful “Festivals” put Powell’s emotion and talent on clear display.

And while the lyrics are vague, there’s still memorable quotes throughout. “Get lost in a dream, now we can’t escape it. Know this ice was once warm water,” she trills on the song “Footnotes,” which also features a hypnotic, earworm of a guitar riff. Indistinct Conversations finishes with a collection of phone conversation snippets. They blur together and don’t provide any answers, but it’s a fitting end to a strong and mysterious collection of songs.

Best Track: “Weight Of That Weekend” 

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