Album Review: Laura Tsaggaris' Keep Talking

Despite what they say about first impressions, in music it's the second impression that can be the most important. Call it what you want, the sophomore jinx or the sophomore slump, the second album determines whether an artist can match his or her first effort or even grow beyond it. D.C.-based artist Laura Tsaggaris (suh Gair iss) must've spent the four years between her 2005 debut Proof and her newest record, Keep Talking, thinking about second impressions, because it's clear she wants to throw out some of the singer/songwriter conventions from her introduction.

While Proof contained lush ballads broken up by the occasional up-tempo alt-country song, Keep Talking immediately breaks into three-chord rock and spacey synthesizers with the opening track, "Warning Signs". You could say it's Tsaggaris' warning that you're going to be disappointed if you're expecting more of the same. The piano and acoustic guitars still make an appearance, but the level of energy is generally kept at a seven or eight on the Spinal Tap scale. The upside with Keep Talking's new direction is that Tsaggaris displays a knack for crafting catchy pop songs, and she definitely has the chops to pull off rock vocals. The downside, however, is that the end result often verges on prosaic. There's very little to distinguish it from countless other artists. "Go and Do Everything (Again)" and "The Politician" could be Kelly Clarkson covers, with their fist-pumping choruses and call-and-response backing vocals.