Take This To Heart Records – Release Date: 8/20/21
For their latest full-length, Swim Out Past the Breakers, Telethon has crafted their most accessible album to date and also one that highlights the unique qualities of their songwriting. It captures the band mining a wide array of influences and exploring the intricacies of their arrangements, while simultaneously hitting their stride. Simply put, this record is peak Telethon. The first song, “Shit (Jansport),” features a frantic verse, a polka-esque breakdown and contributions from Franz Nicolay of The Hold Steady. The song’s structure is anything but conventional, yet it transitions from section to section in a seamless manner, and in that regard is similar to Jeff Rosenstock.
“Do You Know What I Mean (or Not)?” just might be the best song that Telethon has ever written. It has an exceedingly catchy intro riff, with the guitar and bass trading leads. Its bridge has somewhat of a marching rhythm and palm-muted chords, and cleverly eases into the chorus before returning to the exceptional intro riff. The song concludes with a head-bopping, shout-along section and would best be described as radio-friendly rock from a bygone era with a modern twist. “Checker Drive” is another standout track and includes prominent keyboard leads in both the intro and the chorus. Its verse has a definite late ‘90s alternative rock vibe, not unlike Fountains of Wayne, and the song closes with an extended outro that sounds strikingly similar to a theme song from an ‘80s sitcom.
“Cyan” is classic third wave ska/punk that boasts contributions from Devon Kay & The Solutions and is highly likely to induce a skank circle at a future Telethon show. “Travelator” is yet another bright spot, complete with power pop stylings, a distinctive vocal melody and a casual Northern Exposure reference. The song evokes shades of The Anniversary and also spotlights the abilities of the band’s rhythm section.
On Swim Out Past the Breakers, Telethon embraces their weirdness, but does so in a way that welcomes any and all listeners. It can’t be overstated how rare of an ability that is for a band. The album was recorded throughout 2020 and it’s interesting how its lyrics somewhat mirror the ups and downs of what was a very turbulent year for most everyone. In that sense, the record feels very topical. Ultimately, it’s clear that Telethon has really honed in on their writing and are more than capable of constructing whatever kind of song they want. Who’s to say where they’ll go from here, but rest assured that it will be exciting and unpredictable.
