Teleman – Breakfast

Quartet Teleman’s debut album Breakfast is an indie rock story with 80s synths, lively guitars and a happy ending.

At an impressively quick 42 minutes long, you can eat your breakfast, have a cup of tea, shower and dress and have time to listen to the last song. The album gets straight to the point and doesn’t leave you on a tense cliff-hanger.

“Cristina’s so good she makes me go across town,” croons Sanders over a psychedelic organ and a plucky bass. Song Cristina is an affable tune that takes a Beach Boys influence and sets the easy-going tone of the album.

Steam Train Girl is the perfect indie rock song; a sublime balance of woozy, broody and rocky, it’s where Teleman fit very well. The quartet proves to be handy with a lot of instruments throughout. The addition of a saxophone on Lady Low gives it a lazy Gerry Rafferty feel, without not quite hitting its stride.

While the record progresses and settles in there are darker undertones than first thought. Although some tracks have a greater 80s influence than others, leaving them akin to the Pet Shop Boys, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing and Teleman make the songs their own.

The romantic “doo”s in Mainline are stark in contrast to the sombre lyrics that imply a suicide attempt: “Never gonna know but I think you saved my life.” Sanders admits that his lyrics are “purposefully ambiguous” so they are open to interpretation.

Ending with the perky Travel Song, the album is rounded off with indie pop that’s hard not to bop along to, and breakfast is finished.

This debut album is a great production that shows Teleman to be versatile and original, despite the obvious influences.

 Samantha Waite

Breakfast was released on 2^nd June 2014. For further information or to order the album visit here.

Watch the video for 23 Floors Up here: