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Jul 17, 2014 Web Exclusive By Billy Hamilton

Rising from the ashes of small-time indie intellects Pete and the Pirates, Teleman have caused quite a stir in the U.K.‘s trendsetting circles lately. Since debut single “Cristina” breezed its sleepy Kraut-pop aesthetic through the nation’s airwaves, the Brighton-based quartet have been hotly tipped as the next big thing.

Their debut album Breakfast partially deflates these grand expectations. Heavily bedecked in minimalist arrangements, its off-kilter swathes of guitar and synth are something of a curiosity. On the one hand, anthemic cuts such as “23 Floors Up” and “Steam Train Girl” strive hard for wider acceptance; on the other, “Skeleton Dance” and its wiry, angular notes happily traipse through understated indie terrain.

Whatever the band’s intentions, this is a mostly fun record that stretches into Field Music-like territory with its oddball melodies and gushing harmonies. Album swansong “Travel Song” stands out with its refined rhythmic jaunt, but the tender “Lady Low” equally hits home as a beach-swept, brass-parping lullaby. Sure, Breakfast is no world-beater, but its slow assurance suggests bigger things may follow. (www.telemanmusic.com)

Author rating: 7/10