Melbourne has been a hotbed of genre-spanning musical talent in recent years. The city’s largely independent music scene has produced international success stories from the likes of jazz-fusionists Hiatus Kaiyote to punk newcomers Amyl and the Sniffers. Now, trio Telenova – comprised of ex-members of Melbourne groups Miami Horror and Slum Sociable – add their names to this roster with hook-laden pop numbers that reference everything from trip-hop to doo-wop.
After releasing their debut EP, Tranquilize, in 2021, the group earned comparisons to Portishead for vocalist Angeline Armstrong’s husky delivery and bandmates Edward Quinn and Joshua Moriarty’s head-nodding, sludgy grooves. On their latest EP, Stained Glass Love, they alter their sound to encompass the singalong, Amy Winehouse-esque fanfares of Haunted, the euphoric driving rhythms of the title track and the 2000s indie-pop of Why Do I Keep You?
Armstrong describes the EP, written between lockdowns in Melbourne, as “a shedding of the skin”. It’s an apt description: with each release, Telenova transform, adapting past influences to produce imaginative sounds that reflect the free-flowing music scene in which they are made.
Stained Glass Love is out now
