Telenovela
The Broken Heart Is New (2004, Vinahyde)(3.1/5)

Telenovela open up their existence with a quick slab of female-fronted post-punk. The trio sports two lasses who spend a great deal of time weaving their vocals back and forth in a particularly graceful manner adding an element of pop to the mix. Upon first listen one would immediately think of Sleater-Kinney, Team Dresch or any of the usual suspects associated with this kind of sound. But I felt the EP also had as much in common with the Throwing Muses and Raincoats catalogs.

Their website reveals that this EP was recorded just 3 months after their formation but you certainly don't get that vibe from the playing on the album. I did have a few beefsteaks with The Broken Heart Is New. Although the playing is relatively tight the songs aren't as strong as they could be given the amount of talent in the band. Even after 3 solid listens I couldn't really recall any single song standing out. It lacked those in-your-face chops most garagey post-punkers are noted for. That's not to say it wasn't a good overall effort, it's just not something I see myself pulling off the shelf very often. Oh, the EP features some snazzy silk-screened artwork. Kudos for that.

-Beat 5/9/05