This is a review of "Ready To Talk Now" recorded by Will Richards. The review was written by Amelia Rivas in 2009.

Now, this was a real head scratcher.

Primarily, this wasn't for me. The opening song was all wrong; it was hard to listen all the way through and reminded me of preaching pop songs in primary school assemblies. But, with a swift fast-forward, 'Travel Sick' rang bells of Beck in my ears. Eerie guitar slides blanketed sharp drumming, alluding to a sinister night trapped in the depths of a desert, and the instrumentals accumulated to such heights that it sounded like a perfect Bond soundtrack. Certainly the gem of this nine-track collection.

With its many distant styles and genres, listening to this album was like walking through an intricate maze, you just didn't know where the next turn would take you. The next wall of the maze was title track, 'Ready to Talk Now'. I was greeted with a ghoulish canopy of synths - fantastic. However, the unfolding tone of the song grated on me slightly. I was disappointed; if the band were slightly less extravagant and the structures less pristine, the caliber of Richards' vocals would have captured the tenderness of Radiohead's finest ballads.

'Good as Gold' left me dumbfounded; a song with so much drama that it had a frightening resemblance to songs from the 'Joseph' musical. It was rather uncanny. Fear not though, as this reveals how thoroughly thought out Will Richard's music is. Doubled with a majestic cluster of instruments, and flawless production, Will's vocals are elevated to a grander picture. Unfortunately though, I'm a fan of something a bit rawer, grittier you may say. So 'Ready to Talk Now' was a strawberry bubble gum balloon popping in my face.