Richard Davies – Telegraph

Label:Flydaddy / V2

Like the most pleasant voice wafting softly from an enchanted forest, Richard Davies has triumphantly one-upped his near perfect post-Moles-Cardinal solo debut “There’s Never Been A Crowd Like This.” On his one-off Eric Matthews collaboration called Cardinal, it was Davies’ quirky lyrics that so perfectly offset the cerebral lushness of Matthews’ orchestral arrangements. As a law student in Australia, Davies found himself day-dreaming more about poetry than about legal code. Not long after abandoning the latter, he was writing clever lyrics to perfect melodies.

“Telegraph,” however, is another form of communication entirely. It’s a brilliant fusion of pure mellow psychedelic rock and gentle dream-pop. Something about the rolling upbeat simplicity of this effort will, no doubt, allow it to endure the test of time. In fact, when I someday unearth this gem for the children I may have, I expect they will find it as anachronistic as I do.

Beginning with the infectious “Cantina,” Davies has created an album that somehow succeeds in giving off a certain feeling. The feeling reeks of purity and calm not usually associated with indie rock. His songs drift effortlessly about in a thoughtful almost conversational kind of way, making you think to the beat of your tapping feet.

“Telegraph” is more band-oriented project featuring Flaming Lips Guitarist Ronald Jones. Having co-written and co-produced much of this album, Jones helped Davies draw out stronger instrumental curves than on previous efforts. Although early comparisons aligned Richard Davies with Brian Wilson, “Telegraph” features a Davies more akin to John Lennon than to anyone else. With his slightly nasal voice and a sincere intonation, Davies is able to create a delicacy that is mixed with an indisputable hipness. I guarantee that this record will make heavy rotation most pop lover’s collection!