Album Review Teleman - Family of Aliens

Teleman have always stood apart because of their constant desire to have fun. Signed to Moshi Moshi in 2012, the four-piece return with a third album that continues this fine tradition.

While they’ve always dabbled, ‘Family of Aliens’ is the band’s first out-and-out dance record. ‘Cactus’ recalls Hot Chip at their pomp, its driving bass line underlying the track - while there are some exquisite psychedelic touches that feel like they’re straight out of a sci-fi disco. ‘Submarine Life’, meanwhile, reveals them at their weird and wonderful best, and could reasonably pass as a track left off ‘Random Access Memories’.

There a few duds that prevent ‘Family Of Aliens’ from soaring to even loftier heights. Closer ‘Starlight’ is over-indulgent at six minutes forty, while ‘Somebody’s Island’ whimpers to a close without reaching any significant climax. Teleman are at their best when at their most rhythmic, and so slower tracks like ‘Sea Of Wine’ also don’t hold the listener’s interest particularly effectively.

While not wholly consistent, Teleman’s third LP contains some of their best work yet.