Telegraph

Description

Don't expect to love Telegraph on the first listen. Where Davies's earlier work always had a hook to draw you in, this album initially comes off cold. Granted, the minimalist arrangements and early Bee Gees style harmonies that marked his solo debut are still prominent, but these songs take time to unfold. Three or four listens, and the album begins to transform. Five or six, and it seems outright brilliant. A single chord or piano flourish leaps out with the emotional intensity of a new romance. Lyrics that should be trite (say "Crystal Clear"'s "In the end/all my blues are red again") become almost tearful. This is Davies's gamble. He's traded hooks for emotional depth. He's betting that his audience is smart enough to work a little. This is pop made to age gracefully. --Bill Snyder