ALBUM REVIEW: Telltale – Telltale
US rock band TELLTALE have just put out self-titled debut album. According to the Virginia-based quartet, the record is something they’ve been working towards across five years and three EPs, earning them places on Spotify‘s ‘All New Rock’ playlist and sharing stages with the likes of HOLDING ABSENCE and KNUCKLE PUCK. Hearing that, you’re probably excited to hear the album and what they have to offer and, while you can tell the passion is there, this record is unfortunately let down by a weird production and rather messy sounding compositions.
Opening the album is w2b which is likely to be the strangest and most off-putting first impression you’ll have heard in a while. Sure, it sounds promising at first with a pop melody mostly consisting of synths and piano that then shifts into a pop-rock style in a way that feels genuinely clumsy. What makes it worse is the confusing choice of production on the vocals where they’re made to sound distorted, yet it just makes things difficult to hear. In fact, the only thing that comes through decently is the guitars, but that’s only because the volume is loud for them while everything else is drowned out.
After that strange introduction you’re left hoping that maybe things will improve from here, and for a moment you believe it will when you get to following track Otherside that has another decent pop melody that is similar to that of AGAINST THE CURRENT. It’s a little more put together, albeit still clumsy sounding, with the production sounding a lot better on the vocals. This is then followed by Cardinals that, aside from some disappointment at the lack of breakdown in the beginning, is a lot more polished with an anthemic, catchy chorus. But this is as good as it gets for the record so far.
It’s frustrating as you can tell what they were aiming to do and the sound they were going for, but TELLTALE are let down by a messy production that leaves you wanting to turn the record off and find something to listen to that isn’t as clumsy. In fact, the only song that isn’t let down whatsoever by the poor production is I’ve Given More To A Lesser God that just sounds fantastic with a solid breakdown to tie it all together. But instead of being happy, you find yourself frustrated at how the rest of the record isn’t as polished as this.
You can tell TELLTALE have the talent and you can tell they love what they do, but this album just goes to show how lousy production can completely downgrade a record.
Rating: 5/10
Telltale is out now via Rude Records.
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