The London-based instrumental band Los Bitchos have always had a knack for bringing everything to the party, but Talkie Talkie takes their eclectic spirit and turns it into a sparkling, late-night fever dream. Guitarist Serra Petale sums it up best: “There’s a real sparkly edge to Talkie Talkie. That’s the mood of the record.” And she’s not wrong, the album is a shimmering cocktail of charisma and energy, and it’s ready to take you to a place where anything is possible.

If their first album, Let the Festivities Begin!, was the exciting prelude to a night out where anything is possible, Talkie Talkie is the party in full swing, a dazzling late-night paradise where reality blurs and the music is your host with the most. Named after a fictional club, the album implores you to lose yourself in its world, a place where you can dance the night away or simply stand in the corner and drift off into daydreams, carried along by the music. The band - composed of Petale (Australian-Turkish lead guitarist), Agustina Ruiz (Uruguayan synth and keytar player), Josefine Jonsson (Swedish bassist), and Nic Crawshaw (British drummer) - has always thrived on fun. And that energy is infectious as they each bring their diverse cultures to their explosive take on indie rock, united by their unfiltered love for fun.

The album kicks off with the track “Hi!”, a cheeky greeting that quickly escalates into a jangly riff and swirling bassline, punctuated by Petale’s playful taunt, “Suck on that one, bitch!” It’s a striking opening that sets the tone for the rest of the album. From the '80s synth-pop odyssey “Talkie Talkie, Charlie Charlie,” which could fit perfectly into Black Mirror’s San Junipero episode, to the cumbia-infused “1K” that nods to Ruiz’s roots, every song is a showcase for the band’s well-earned audaciousness. Tracks like “Naughty Little Clove” and “It’s About Time” (featuring Snarky Puppy’s Michael League) are not mere throwbacks but bold reinterpretations, brimming with the band’s signature moxie.

The recording of the album took place in a burst of creativity at London’s RAK Studios and on the Lightship 95 – an actual boat - over just one month. Under the guidance of producer Oli Barton-Wood and engineer Giles Barrett, the band leaned into their experimental impulses, pushing their sound even further with synth bass, arpeggiators, and electronic drums. At its core, Talkie Talkie is a love letter to the '80s, but with a twist. The band dives deep into the era’s aura, where analog met digital and pop music took on a glossy, hi-fi sheen, but they do it all through their uniquely Los Bitchos lens.