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Telamor

Outside the Lines

Review by Larry Toering
Telamor is a good guitar-driven pop act, but at first I had no idea who this was. But the artist has done a Rolling Stones cover album, an EP to be exact. I’m not huge on most of the vocals on this album, but the tunes make every bit of sense intended, so it’s an easy to follow album once you get into it. Power pop with a real 80s vibe that also crosses over into modern hipster territory is what the album Outside the Lines  is all about. This act is essentially the brain child of Tom Hauk, who handles all the voices and instruments. This is more organic pop rock music.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2016  Volume 3 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
Brave Heart

It might sound kind of heavy, but this is actually a lighthearted theme. It’s a zany love tune, rather than something of a period piece, which the title might suggest. This features some killer guitar work, but it dominates the entire track for spotlight.

Speed Queen
The humor rages on here with a likeable track, proving to get better as things go. You can’t catch this lassie, she’s obviously too fast. This is the typical one night stand song.
Trippin’
This instantly earns its title, and proceeds to please from there. But it is a little freaking here and there, almost to the point of inaccessibility. Still, you never know what makes a hit anymore. I certainly wasn’t offended by this, but so far it’s the most pedestrian sound on the disc.
Flash
Some of these cuts contain searing guitar, and they all contain the least bit of seriousness in the lyrics but they work together well. That’s the best thing I can say about this particularly retro track, other than it takes a funky turn with a fuzzy bass.
Ramona
This takes on some more funky grooves, as he carries on about the latest squeeze. It’s fun but it’s also repetitive to a compounding degree.
Great Balls of Fire
This cover isn’t bad, but it’s nothing spectacular either. It’s sung more sensitively, and definitely comes out more modern. While I’m not blown over by this, it does come along at a good time on the album. I’m just not sure what the intention is, but I can take or leave this one.   
It’s Love Miss Veronica
This isn’t one of the strongest numbers either, but it does have some charm that was lost on the previous two tracks. I would call this the most eclectic track in the set. 
Fakin’ It

This gives away the secret that making it is only one letter away from faking it. The lyrics get precisely descriptive here, so it’s not so difficult to get this song. Perhaps it’s taken from some personal experience. 


How to Love
More good guitar is applied to essentially what is a lot like most of the tunes here. Still, the vocals become much easier to follow, and it’s actually quite a good playful number with a lot going for it. I rate this as one of the album’s best.    
Rock All Night
This is more like it, as it takes on more of a band shape in delivery, but once again the vocals don’t do a lot. That does change when it gets into a decent chorus, and you can’t deny its familiarity. The humor here reminds a lot of Reverend Horton Heat. Still, it’s not rockabilly music. Telamor have a harder pop edge.
 
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