Telethon’s last album The Grand Spontanean was a statement piece. A stylistically sprawling 90-minute rock opera so high concept it breaks for an album-within-an-album from a fictional band and concludes with a choose-your-own-adventure ending, it was remarkable for its sheer audacity. You could spend months with it and still discover something new in it, simply because there was so much of it.
But Telethon also seem to recognize that not all listeners are interested in making that sort of time investment, so for their follow-up they’ve presented something a good deal more manageable. Today the Milwaukee pop-punk band released Modern Abrasive, a springy seven-song (eight if you count the opening skit) EP that offers a handy introduction to the group for listeners daunted by the idea of a 90-minute opus.
Once again the group covers a lot of ground, drawing from a fountain of influences, some conventionally cool, others less so: Big Star, Elton John Weezer, Ben Folds. It’s perfect music for Jeff Rosenstock fans who wonder why other acts don’t try harder. Telethon are always trying hard. And even on a relatively concise EP with relatively direct songs, the band can’t resist a little theatrical embellishment. “Great American,” a two-minute quickie about that most cherished of Southeastern Wisconsin summertime experiences, a trip to Six Flags, ends with the pomp of a far longer song. “Plactus (State of the Union)” culminates in a breakdown right out of a John Cougar Mellencamp track, and unless my ears are deceiving me, I’m pretty sure there’s some cowbell in there.
And along the way the band lands one textbook perfect power-pop number: “Ur Schedule,” a sweet tune about the frustration of being shut out (“If you can pencil me onto your schedule, I promise I won’t take too much of your time/If you can just fit me onto your schedule, I can let you get on with your life.”) It’s as hooky and universal as anything the band has written yet, a reminder of the big beating heart behind all their quirky ambition.
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You can stream the EP below, via Bandcamp, along with the video for its title track.
