Against driving drum rhythms and delicious bass lines, “Mixed Signals” is a moonlit number about the frustrating mysteries that lie in the grey spaces of communication. Just as people can straddle the threshold between baited clues and proper answers, The Sweet Talkers jumps back and forth between streamlined dance rock and fuzzy synthwave. The rhythm section, however, ensures that the groove never falls out of focus, and the lead vocals confidently helm the narrative as it pushes long into the night.
It would have been easy to set loops from band performances in the studio and just copy/paste for much of the song’s duration, but The Sweet Talkers dedicate full recordings that don’t dabble into technology quick fixes.
“Mixed Signals” clocks in at nearly six minutes, causing its verse/chorus repetition to fall into a dark trance over its runtime. For those less inclined to take the full trip, the band has prepared a radio edit that trims down the intro/outro atmospherics. Either way, it makes for a solid jam for those caught in the bleary crosshairs of entangling sweet talk.