Girl Talk

The chaotic orchestral-noise sounds of Greg Gillis' Girl Talk is loud and abrasive on Secret Diary. The frenetic pace of some of the songs is downright confusing at times, with the listener mentally rushing to figure out the method to the madness. Gillis is somehow able to piece together some timeless pieces of music into a dizzying, yet listenable, collection of collage songs. The disc starts, appropriately, with "Let's Start This Party Right," which is chock-full of computer samples and a wealth of infectious beats. What follows is a lively and irreverent cover of the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back." Cyndi Lauper, Jay-Z, Destiny's Child, and C&C Music Factory are also borrowed from to create an album that is refreshingly new, despite its use of very familiar songs. "What if..." is a noisy and eclectic take on Sheryl Crow's cover of Joan Osborne's "What if God was One of Us." He mixes rap and abrasive electronic beats on top to create a truly original sample. The use of the Price is Right theme song on "Unicorn Vs. Gravity" is pure genius. On "Fun in the Sun," he blends a deafening series of beats over the Fresh Prince's "Summertime." Matt Wellins collaborates with Gillis on the disc's final track, the disorienting and ambitious "Friends 4-Ever." With Secret Diary, Girl Talk impressed many in the electronic noise community. Illegal Art released the disc in 2002. ~ Stephen Cramer, All Music Guide