These days, side projects are the norm even if many tend to add up to less than a hill of beans in the long run.At the time of writing, the media are falling over themselves to get a piece of Them Crooked Vultures, though I guess that's no surprise bearing in mind they feature Dave Grohl, Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones all under one roof.
This writer can't comment on TCV at the time of writing and you may well wonder what such rumination has to do with a band called tELLEY. Well, bugger all on the face of it, save that tELLEY (their syntax, not mine) are a side project of sorts, featuring Jim (a.k.a James Parsons) from literate indie Londoners Spearmint.
That might not raise more than a shrug from some quarters, but while tELLEY may be a rather less star-studded affair, Jim has talented collaborators on board with him (not least enthusiastically busy and dexterous drummer James Agnew) while the band's debut album 'Now I'm The Big Sister' is not only light years away from the literate Indie musings of Spearmint, but it also shakes up a fizzy, brevity-fuelled new wave pop sound which is remarkably refreshing to behold.
The album's brash opening volley gives you an idea of where tELLEY are at. Songs like 'Bad Boy, Good Girl' and 'Red Is My Key' come barrelling out of the speakers with the first flush excitement of albums like XTC'S 'White Music' in their veins, while the excellent (and relatively faithful) cover of Sparks' 'Get In The Swing' demonstrates that Jim and co. appreciate the fringe benefits of good ol' quirky pop regardless of time and place.
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Much of the album mainlines on this infectious energy. The idiosyncratic 'All of the Girls Want to Love' breaks out the vocoders (always a worrying development) but by the time its' anthemic chorus and the avalanche of Graham Coxon-style guitars have rained down on you you're well away. The tumbling drums and stabbing piano riffs of 'Good at What You Do' display a penchant for widescreen drama while the no-nonsense power pop of 'We Are Not Like You' is so wholesome only a terminal miser could possibly turn it away.
The one place they approach the erudite ache of Spearmint's best stuff comes with the closing 'Over The Sea', a yearning, almost-ballad full of emotional freight. It provides a memorable farewell and proves beyond reasonable doubt that Parsons and his talented cohorts are keen to push this here envelope in the future.
TELLEY, then, are hosting broadcasts refreshingly free of interference and advertising only snappy, concise guitar pop. I'd personally suggest a year's subscription and then turning on, tuning in and immersing yourself without further ado.
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