Tellison – The Wages Of Fear

Now that our, admittedly feeble, Scottish summer is in full bloom it’s only right that shelves begin to fill with bright’n’breezy emotional rock; case in point, Tellison. What Tellison have working in their defence is a skill at concocting bittersweet melodies that work their way rapidly under the skin along with lyrics that, while no doubt appealing to the heartbroken loner in all of us, possess a heartening degree of intelligence and hope.

Tell It To Thebes covers their obvious love of big rock with admirable enthusiasm by means of a focused chorus peppered with riffs that crash down on the skull like tidal waves, while its successor Letters from Pre-Med targets the pop-punk demographic with pinpoint accuracy thanks to Stephen Davidson’s vocals that verge on Matthew Pryor worship yet retain their English sensibilities. Factor in Collarbone’s left-field lyrics and medulla-penetrating infectiousness and you’re left with an oddly lovable slice of sunshine and sadness.