Telekinesis – Telekinesis!

There are few things finer in the life of a music critic than receiving an album packed from beginning to end with some of the catchiest melodies ever committed to CD.

There are few things finer in the life of a music critic than receiving an album packed from beginning to end with some of the catchiest melodies ever committed to CD. The thrill of discovering a previously unknown gem is incredible, and represents one of the sole aims of the critic in this age of easy online discovery. Quite why Telekinesis – Michael Benjamin Lerner from Seattle – have remained under our radar thus far is unclear.

Right from the off, with the beautifully understated Rust, this almost self-titled album (if you count punctuation) never ceases to amaze. Combined with the spectacular Tokyo – and its chorus refrain of “I, I, I went to Tokyo” – the effect is remarkable. Lerner reaches out and grabs the listeners attention immediately, with the kind of joyous upbeat riot that it usually takes artists years to achieve.

The twee pop of Awkward Kisser, with its reverb-laden harmony of “when I woke up, you were by my side”, is one of many highlights on the relatively short LP. Lerner seems to be just as comfortable rocking out in Foreign Room as he is crooning on Awkward Kisser and, like Brakes’ Touchdown released earlier this year, it’s an album which never outstays its welcome and constantly delivers.

This review originally appeared on The Music Magazine.

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