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| Pitchfork |
 The exclamation point that punctuated Michael Benjamin Lerner's self-titled debut album as Telekinesis felt presumptuous. There were some sugary power-pop gems on that record, but they were outnumbered by alt-rock with tempos that ranged from a mid-paced walk to outright foot-dragging. Perhaps that's why it's a little surprising when one is reminded that Lerner's a part of Merge's stable; his songwriting style uncannily resembles that of the bands featured on Death Cab for Cutie's pre-major label home, Barsuk-- for better and for worse.Maybe Lerner agrees: Telekinesis' new EP, Parallel Seismic Conspiracies, suggests as much. The five-track release-- a sort of teaser-holdover until the project's forthcoming sophomore full-length, 12 Desperate Straight Lines-- embraces a scruffy, home-recorded sound absent from the debut. The jump to lo-fi could be cynically seen as trend-jumping at a point where a great deal of new bands are setting up studios in their parents' basements, but it turns out to be a good look for Lerner, adding a sense of rough-around-the-edges charm that suits his songwriting talents well. Not a single song on the EP-- which itself just pushes a 10-minute running time-- goes over three minutes, which makes the immediacy of new songs "Dirty Thing" and "Non-Toxic" more potent. Elsewhere, "Calling All Doctors", a somewhat grating piano-led lowlight from Telekinesis!, gets a much-needed facelift, as spiky guitar lines and a driving beat turns the previously sad-sack ballad into an enjoyably neurotic earworm. The sprightly rework highlights a new confidence evident on Parallel Seismic Conspiracies, one that perhaps led to a pair of ill-advised covers: Guided by Voices' "Game of Pricks" and pre-Joy Division outfit Warsaw's "The Drawback". There's nothing specifically wrong with Lerner's take on the former-- if anything, that's the problem. It's merely competent and feels unnecessary. The latter, on the other hand, showcases Lerner's technically impressive drum skills with faster-than-fast fills, but his at times wide-eyed voice sounds ill-fitting when wrapped around the original's wordy, political lyrics ("I find a promise in confessions of true faith/ And hypocrisy that always lies within"). Lesson to learn: It's okay to stray from your comfort zone-- just don't go, you know, too far....full text |
| Undertheradarmag |
| You're strolling through your local independent record store when you stumble upon the latest Telekinesis release. "Oh, cool," you say to yourself, "a new EP." Well, not quite. Though it's essentially a holdover until Michael Benjamin Lerner puts out his sophomore LP next year this latest offering is a lot of things, but new isn't one of them. Barely clocking in at 10 minutes, Parallel Seismic Conspiracies is basically an extended version of the "Dirty Thing" 7-inch, released in April for Record Store Day. The only thing that's actually "new" here is a lo-fi cover of Guided By Voice's "Game of Pricks," perhaps the most frequently tackled song in the GBV catalog. Beyond that there's a new version of "Calling All Doctors" from the band's debut, this time featuring electric guitars and a throbbing bass drum rather than the hesitant piano tinklings of the original. Rounding out the five-song offering are "Non-Toxic" and a cover of "The Drawback" by proto-Joy Division outfit Warsaw, both of which also showed up on the Dirty Thing 7-inch. They're both solid tunes—"The Drawback" in particular, if only to hear how well Lerner can bang the shit out of his drum kit—but the whole thing smacks of a money grab. For the miniscule amount of money Lerner and Merge will probably make on this thing they might well have been wiser just to release them as iTunes bonus tracks, rather than package it with the air of legitimacy conferred by a proper EP release (even if it is primarily a digital release). Besides, only two of the tracks here—"Dirty Thing" and "Non-Toxic"-stand out from the rest of the filler....full text |
| Stereosubversion |
| Telekinesis, the touring band, consists of a core member and a handful of interchangeable musicians. Telekinesis, as an artistic entity, is a one man operation. Michael Benjamin Lerner records all elements of his music himself. He sings, plays guitar, bass, and drums. In a sense, he’s like the Prince of indie rock, except he sounds nothing like Prince at all. Telekinesis originally caught my ear by way of the centerpiece track off of its Chris Walla of Death Cab produced Merge debut, Telekinesis! “Coast of Carolina” makes a dramatic shift from a spacey ballad to a full frontal assault of chunky power chords. It carries the same melodies throughout, but varies in intensity between the acoustic and electric transitions. It’s one of last year’s best songs and a perfect introduction to Telekinesis if you’re looking for a place to start. Parallel Seismic Conspiracies is a five song EP that’s over and done with before you know it. No song on it surpasses the three minute mark and only two of the five surpass the two minute mark. The whole thing clocks in at a little over 10 minutes long. However, this appears to be Lerner’s M.O. Telekinesis! has 11 songs and is 31:47 in length. So, it’s fair to say that concise, to-the-point pop songs are what Lerner aims for. It seemed fitting then that Parallel Seismic Conspiracies features a cover of a band that built their legacy around a similar format. The second track is a verbatim rendition of the Guided By Voices’ staple “Game of Pricks.” Covers that resonate with me are typically vast departures from the original version; they capture the essence of the song, but at the same time couldn’t sound any different musically. I took this cover more as a tipping of the cap to a band that Lerner has modeled his writing techniques after than an attempt to take ownership of the song and present it through his vision....full text |
Telekinesis! lyrics
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