4,000,000 Telephones - 4,000,000 Telephones

Ahoy-hoy at last!

Welcome back to the short, sharp and spiky ringing sound of Lincoln’s 4,000,000 Telephones. Over in the same sort of time taken to watch your average nightly soap opera, this is a debut that demands attention today. A six-piece that could have, should have, and nearly did back in the mid-80s, until now, the Telephones’ self-titled album has been out of circulation for nigh on 20 years. A strange missing link between the B-52’s, Devo and PiL, they made their music out of up tempo post-punk funk, peppered with abstract vocals. It’s not hard to hear why they didn’t break through back then, and why many won’t choose to listen now. We’re right and they’re wrong, however. In style and substance, this is not far removed from what many funk-tinged new wavers choose to play today. The Futureheads would surely give any new record deal to write songs the quality of Stop. Distant relatives to Art Brut, it’s never too late to connect with these 4,000,000 Telephones.

Summerhouse | SUML 15

Reviewed by Ian Fletcher
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