12 Desperate Straight Lines
If you fell for Telekinesis’ infectious debut, prepare to swoon again. Sticking to what he does best, songwriter and one-man-band Michael Benjamin Lerner, along with producer Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie), delivers a dozen energetic pop gems in just over 30 minutes. Though there’s not a bad song here, “Please Ask for Help,” “Dirty Thing,” “Car Crash,” and “Gotta Get It Right Now” best represent the album — rapid drumbeats, sunny harmonies, fuzzy bass, and loads of ringing power chords delivered with unquenchable urgency. This album is noisier and grittier than his debut but still focused on brief bursts of fun, dance-around-the-room power pop. The direct, heartfelt lyrics mainly deal with dysfunctional romance yet the catchy hooks and upbeat choruses come across as cathartic release rather than a mope-fest. *12 Desperate Straight Lines* is a straightforward, no-frills winner.
Telekinesis' latest set of spirited power pop has some of the project's strongest, catchiest tunes to date.
Telekinesis' latest set of spirited power pop has some of the project's strongest, catchiest tunes to date.
How nice is Michael Benjamin Lerner of Telekinesis? On “Car Crash,” a standout among many bouncy power-pop ditties on the new 12 Desperate Straight Lines, he makes the prospect of vehicular misadventure seem as threatening as a hot-fudge sundae. A lot of that is due to Lerner’s reedy voice—think Fountains Of Wayne’s…
How nice is Michael Benjamin Lerner of Telekinesis? On “Car Crash,” a standout among many bouncy power-pop ditties on the new 12 Desperate Straight Lines, he makes the prospect of vehicular misadventure seem as threatening as a hot-fudge sundae. A lot of that is due to Lerner’s reedy voice—think Fountains Of Wayne’s…
For someone whose biggest musical aspiration was once nothing more than to play drums in someone else’s rock band, Michael Benjamin Lerner is making a heck of a go as a multi-talented source of propulsive hooks and power pop craftsmanship
For someone whose biggest musical aspiration was once nothing more than to play drums in someone else’s rock band, Michael Benjamin Lerner is making a heck of a go as a multi-talented source of propulsive hooks and power pop craftsmanship
The second Telekinesis album suggests that Michael Lerner’s gift for hooky, college-radio friendly indie-pop shows no signs of abating.
The second Telekinesis album suggests that Michael Lerner’s gift for hooky, college-radio friendly indie-pop shows no signs of abating.