British surf-psych rockers The Wytches have announced their fifth studio album, Talking Machine, set for release on October 10 via Alcopop! Records. The band has also shared the album’s title track as its latest single, a song that explores the unsettling connection between vintage technology and modern artificial intelligence.
Frontman Kristian Bell drew inspiration for the title from a book about Thomas Edison, where "talking machine" was a nickname for early gramophones. Bell saw a parallel between the public's fear of recorded audio replacing live musicians in the past and the current anxieties surrounding AI.
The new album represents a deliberate return to the band’s roots. For the first time since their 2014 debut, Annabel Dream Reader, the band recorded the album live in a single room, embracing an analogue approach to production. The result is a raw and authentic sound that highlights the group’s palpable chemistry, even with new drummer Bhav Thaker joining the lineup.
Talking Machine is described as a "rollicking surf garage rock" journey that captures the band in its most unfiltered form. Bell's work in a record shop and subsequent immersion in ‘60s rock and ‘80s revival bands heavily influenced the album's sound, pushing the band to create heavy music without the use of modern sonic tricks. This commitment to a raw, human sound has resulted in a record that feels refreshed and revitalized.
To support the release, The Wytches are set to embark on a UK tour, with tickets on sale now.
