Out today, ”Delay the New Day” is the second full-length from Cardiff’s Red Telephone. Brothers Declan and Tobias Andrews are joined by brothers Kieran and Dominic O’Brien. Luke Robinson plays drums.
Most all of the songs were written by Declan, with Kieran contributing one of his own tunes as well. Recorded at Longwave Studio in Cardiff, “New Day” was engineered & produced by Steffan Pringle, mixed by Thomas Rees, and mastered by Charlie Francis.
The band’s signature dark-wave/psych-wave indie rock grabs with assertive synths, bouncing drums, and Declan’s distinctive vocals. The results often veer well into 80s territory, nabbing bits of The Cure, Depeche Mode, and other dark-wavers from then and now. Strong on melodies, songs like “Faithful” are arranged with good dose of drama, dance, and darkness tinged with longing.
With Red Telephone, I’m reminded strongly of The Julie’s, who released a gorgeous record of their own last year. RT tends to make their music a little more atonal and off-kilter to imbue a creepier vibe, but that’s not to say that they aren’t immune to a killer melodic run, as on the closing minute or so of “Play the Part”.
“Sentimental Dreaming” was released as a single back in November. Carried by a gothy beat, dark synths, fragmented guitar sounds, reverbed vocals sometimes doubled up an octave apart, “Dreaming” sums up this band. Lightly jarring and industrial, the song is built upon a solid, easy-on-the-ears melody.
“Leave Me Be” is perfect. Fueled by a single guitar note, bass drum, and a synth halo, it builds from there. For 80s fans, think Snake Corps mixed with Depeche Mode, with Marc Almond singing with falsetto flourishes.
The title track closes the record. The song lumbers, bringing along its own dry ice to fill your black-lighted, lava-lamped living room. At first it feels like an orphan from ”Seventeen Seconds” but the rhythms and arrangements build with surging guitars, flanging synths, and big (though restrained) drums, resulting in something so much fuller and exciting. Twists and turns serve to keep the music fresh and listeners off balance. The result is a dystopian, haunted classic.
Links
