Album Review: Couch, Set to Release, Big Talk, 10/24/2025!

As a photographer of live music, I visited different venues inside and outside the U.S. to take pictures of live music bands. The music genres that I covered include a wide variety from broadly categorized like classical, jazz, rock, pop, and hip-hop, to more specific subgenres such as blues, country, reggae, electronic and metal.

From big names musicians to not well-known artists, I shot with my camera all of them. However, I was very impressed when I listened to Couch's music; particularly when I played the songs in their new debut full-length album "Big Talk" that expected to be released on October 24, 2025. The Boston-based band plays a blend of pop, soul, funk, and jazz creating a "retro-pop" sound that incorporates elements of R&B and rock. Couch's songs in the new album, described as upbeat, vibrant, and optimistic, are exceptional.

Drawing their inspiration from 1970s funk bands like Earth, Wind Fire and Tower of Power, as well as contemporary artists, Couch's songs in this album are original. The group cannot be compared to any other bands.

Recording music from college dorms across the country to touring as a band across the U.S. make the group very strong and very tied to each other. Nonetheless, Couch has a really unique style that is part of the group's originality. 

The seven-piece of band composed of Tema Siegel (lead vocals), Eric Tarlin (Saxophone), Zach Blankstein (guitar), Danny Silverston (keys), Jared Gozinsky (drums), Will Griffin (bass) and Jeffrey Pinsker (trumpet), are very original in their style. The way that they play their music has made a huge difference.

Couch's songs in the new album "Big Talk" will add to the list of Couch's more popular songs such as Easy to Love, Vienna, Alright, Jessie, Fall Into Place, Autumn, On The Wire, Stand Up, Still Feeling You, Sorry, Let Me Hold You, etc.

A fusion of genres, often described as soulful, expressive, and modern-metro,. The group has shared stages with Lake Street, Dive, Cory Wong and St. Paul & The Broken Bones. The band appeared at notable festivals like Boston Calling and Levitate.

Big Talk, mastered by Colin Leonard (Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Bad Bunny), captures the spirit of a band with full devotion and great passion telling their stories in music forged by their personal experiences. According to guitarist Zach Blankstein, the album explores "multidimensional love - romantic, platonic, selt-love - and the kind of bold, honest connection that comes from shedding small talk and saying what you really mean." Listening to the song "What You Were Thinking", Tema Siegel with her powerful voice delivered one of the most powerful performances the band has released to date. Other songs in the album such as Window, Middle Man, Slow Burn, One Night, Transparent, So Myself, Static Noise, Little Less Over You... are terrific.

That being said, Big Talk, the new debut full-length album by Couch, is a world class album. I invite the public to listen to it and share my words with others.