If you haven't yet given a listen to
12 Desperate Straight Lines, the sophomore release of Seattle-based
Telekinesis, you're missing out on some of the purest power pop of the new year.
Michael Benjamin Lerner is Telekinesis, recording the entire album himself with the assistance of producer Chris Walla — guitarist of
Death Cab For Cutie. Released on
Merge last month,
12 Desperate Straight Lines is in line with 90's indie revivalism — at times echoing the fuzz of Weezer or Dinosaur Jr, while also owing a debt to power pop merchants like Teenage Fanclub or Matthew Sweet.
Touring, Lerner makes the odd choice of sitting behind the drum kit, joined by Jason Narducy (Robert Pollard band, Bob Mould band) on bass and Cody Votolato (Jaguar Love, The Blood Brothers) on guitar.
Last week, Telekinesis dropped by the studio of their hometown college radio station, the legendary
KEXP, to perform four tracks from the new album.
First up is the most "new wave" of the lot, the driving "Please Ask For Help":
In the same ballpark, with a little more edge, is "Country Lane" — not to be confused with Pavement's "Shady Lane":
"Dirty Thing" was the album's lead single — it's a blissful summertime tune with a dark side:
When Telekinesis wants everyone to hold their cell phones in the air, it's time to bust out the anthemic "50 Ways":
Thanks again to KEXP for the excellent work.
