For the record

Author: Alex Blair

Power pop is not dead. That most infectious sound with its crunchy guitars, crisp vocal harmonies and catchy melodies is still hanging around. Even though Weezer, one of the genre's most successful and long lasting acts, is running out of steam both creatively and commercially, in current years bands like the New Pornographers, Fountains of Wayne, and, most recently, Telekinesis, have given power pop a much needed boost. Although Telekinesis's self-titled debut was released through the indie label Merge Records, its sunny lyrics and feel-good sound leave listeners imagining that it will gain a great deal of popularity. In fact, every student at Middlebury should give "Telekinesis!" a listen. There is no doubt that this album will brighten up these frigid and dreary spring days (only in Vermont).

Michael Benjamin Lerner is the man behind Telekinesis; he sings and plays every instrument on the record. He comes off as a young Rivers Cuomo (the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of Weezer). With his boyish looks and thick black glasses, Lerner possesses the same geeky charm as Rivers and, like the Weezer frontman, he has a gift for crafting catchy pop songs. Michael Benjamin Lerner might have the most boring name in rock history, but he can sure write some exciting tunes. "Tokyo" is a dreamy power pop anthem full of fuzzy guitars, whimsical lyrics, and "bullet trains." Lerner sings as if he's traveled to Tokyo, but the "neon flashing lights" that brighten the streets are only in his mind. Many songs on "Telekinesis!" seem detached from reality. "Imaginary Friends" is exactly what it sounds like: an ode to pretend childhood companions. The dreamy nature of songs like "Tokyo" and "Imaginary Friends" gives the album an innocent and nostalgic feel that stays with you long after the record stops playing.

Lerner continues the album's sentimental tone with a number of summery love songs. "All of a Sudden" is a sunny take on a couple idly spending their days together while "Look to the East" finds a young man thinking of his girlfriend while he travels Europe. Both songs contain the album's trademark crunchy guitar sound that is as infectious as Lerner's melodies. "Awkward Kisser" is the album's shortest song, but with its impossibly catchy hook and quirky lyrics about a past romance, this song belongs on another level (somewhere in a Wes Anderson film). Lines like "cherry blossoms and a cherry soda/picnics in the countryside" exude a kind of cutesy innocence that can't help but make you smile. I know that sounds corny, but I challenge you to keep a straight face while listening to the song. "Awkward Kisser" encapsulates everything "Telekinesis!" is about: love, summer, and longing for the past.

Unfortunately the album ends on a bit of a sour note. The last two songs, "Calling All Doctors" and "I Saw Lightning" abandon the fuzzy distortion and bouncy rhythms that make up the previous tracks for gentle piano and acoustic guitar ballads. "Calling All Doctors" is simply a bland piano pop tune with an uninspiring vocal melody while "I Saw Lightning" is a love song that tries too hard to be a tender, subdued closing to an album that is drenched in loud power chords. To put it bluntly, it's a disappointing and anticlimactic ending. Nevertheless, "Telekinesis!" for the most part is a very good start for a promising young artist. Lerner's songs are catchy enough to appeal to the masses and quirky enough to satisfy any indie fan. Maybe he's the savior power pop has been looking for. I hope so.