Such a crime that British band Teleman is not better known. I labelled their previous release, Family of Aliens, as a career highlight. Since then they have slimmed down to a three-piece, and their sound has simplified as a result, with both positive and slightly negative results. “Sweet Morning EP” features stark, almost simplistic arrangements that can at first seem primitive, but repeated listening to the six tracks reveals that the band’s essence—Thomas Sanders’s ringing, pure, semi-falsetto voice allied to gorgeous melodies— is now fully on display. The result is magical catchiness deepened by poetic, immersive lyrics. Sweet Morning is a byway, not a new road, but it is well worth checking out. Listen to that high voice laid over a boppy, light tune on “Right As Rain,” or the bell-like chorus on “Free Birds” as Sanders sings a song of childhood, “kicking a tin can and dreaming.” Wonderful.
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