Jeff Teel of Jetenderpaul is apparently restless, because he just released a side project – Sound Transmission. Sound Transmission are sort of the antithesis of Jetenderpaul. The pop is still there, but in a completely different manner. Instead of relying on the Beach Boys meets Elephant 6 aesthetic that Jetenderpaul swears by, Sound Transmission bring forward traces of Radiohead, U2, Pink Floyd, and many others to create a Hall of Fame of pop music influences. These guys have a great sense of history, and use that to merge the best of the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's while refusing to ever cross the line into plagiarism.
First Construction begins with the title track, a slow, spooky instrumental number that directly leads into "April Sky," a song reminiscent of Unforgettable Fire-era U2. The guitar tone is high and thin, providing an ethereal sound over the heavy bass and drum backbeat. "Suppressed" evokes memories of Jeff Buckley, while "Images" sounds like something Spiritualized might have released. That diversity is what makes this record really great: Sound Transmission gratefully acknowledge the history of pop in their songs, while insisting on pressing forward instead of merely living in the past. The fact that they can do so with such intelligence and relevance is important, and wonderful to witness.
