Album Review: The End Of War

The New Telepathics’ latest release, wishfully entitled The End of War, explores an amalgamation of Soul, Jazz, Trip Hop, Techno Funk and Calypso genres with inspiring lyrics and tight rhythms sure to get the crowd amped and on the dance floor.

Driving bass lines and pared-back drums are sometimes interspersed with unusual sequences and effects that give an edgy disjointed vibe. Most of the time this works well but on extensive tracks like Don’t Run Away and We Are Free Intergalactic more variation is required. It would be great if the band increased space and broke into some chorus-like cohesion to combine their varied styles more often.

The warm atmosphere and structured composition of Monochrome makes it one of the stand-outs. A cleaner mix could increase the commercial viability of this song. The freeform nature and rapping in Central Station and brass section in Never Know are also highly effective. There’s something wonderfully soulful about the vocal delivery and rhythm structure in these tracks that really resonates.

Uplifting lyrics sung in Te Reo, French, Setswana, Igbo and English, at the forefront of the mix, showcases the bands diverse origins. The From Scratch influence and percussive flare of frontman and multi-instrumentalist Darryn Harkness is also a guiding force throughout, but primarily the New Telepathics forge a fresh musical path on this highly original twelve-track album. This makes The End of War a very worthwhile addition to your music collection.

★★★ (3 stars)

_{Review written by River Tucker}