Friday, February 05, 2016

Album Review :: Telegram - Operator




Telegram

Operator

February 5 2016 (GramGram)

7/10

Words: Alison Mack

Emerging three years ago with a word-of-mouth buzz, London four-piece Telegram have finally got around to putting out their debut album, and on their own label.

Released on black vinyl and limited edition signed coloured vinyl, and recorded in London with (the man who seems to have a hand in a vast number of works recorded in down south) Rory Atwell, many of the 12 tracks will already be familiar to fans who have caught the band live over the last years.

Opening on 'Rule Number One', this three minutes of explosive riffs and fiery drums is a fine example of where the rest of the album goes: fierce, glammed-up kraut-psych-proto punk. Matt Saunders once again delivers his Welsh-accented vowels over the fast-paced kicker that is 'Aeons', picking up momentum as it progresses over edgy guitar lines and jittery drum pattern  and on 'Taffy Come Home', the chest-pummeling latest single.

Plenty of fuzz and reverb abound throughout, notably on ‘We’ve Got a Friend’ and ‘Telegramme’, the latter which is a drawn out six-minutes-plus in length, which unless you're into prog areas, you might be wanting to hurry past. Elsewhere, a newly recorded version of ‘Follow’ - one of their first tracks from 2013 - is still perhaps one of their best tracks in its well structured chords and dynamism between guitars and drums; as is live favourite 'Folly', all TOY-esque riffs and driving rhythm. 'Operator' marks a confident first dip in the album pool for Telegram.


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