Tellison: Hope Fading Nightly





It's probably time to assemble my thoughts on "Hope Fading Nightly" by Tellison, since I've listened to it something like eight times. In short, this record will speak to anyone in their 20s who is angry at themselves and the world about how things have turned out. I'm bang in the middle of that demographic.

The lead single "Tact Is Dead" tackles that particular issue straight on ("Throw me into a Tube train, pay me the minimum wage. So I'll never earn more than my parents...). It's a big rock song that has set the tone for the rest of the record. "Helix and Ferman" is a singalong belter with an absolutely enormous opening riff that could easily be a single in its own right, as could the anthemic "Wrecker". "Rookie Of The Year" recalls the digital sampling of their debut album "Contact! Contact!" with a sporting metaphor that's a little on the nose.

Generally speaking though, it's an album of two halves in a good sense. The A side is full of accessible rock songs, while the B side features a quartet of more contemplative slow burners that rank among the band's best work.

"My Marengo" probably has the best chorus on the record, as negativity and positivity battle for supremacy via references to Napoleon. It runs "Helix and Ferman" very close for my favourite song on HFN. Peter Phillips' gruff vocals add an extra dimension to "Hellhole" while "Mendokusai" builds to a great crescendo. Closing track "Tsundoku" occupies similar thematic territory to "Tact Is Dead" and provides a powerful close to the record.

 Basically, Tellison have cranked up the volume and written some of their best songs to date. LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN GO GO GO.



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