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| the telephones Bye Bye Hello
why you'll love it: an effective bittersweet farewell
why you'll hate it: disco dorks 'til the very end
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A lot of that has to do with the brand the telephones have built. Their consistency of traditional "disco" songs had become established for quite a while. I say "disco" in quotes, because half the time these songs are just manic punk rock belters that scream "disco" in the chorus. Yes, it's stupid, but they did it enough times where it became charming. It's even been disappointing when they don't deliver a "disco" song (as in the creatively bankrupt 2014 LP, SUPER HIGH TENSION!!!).
Even their music videos have helped establish their own culture. Yes, music videos have continued to be relevant thanks to the telephones. Themes and references have carried through from video to video, just as they have in a couple songs, like the self-refferental "D.E.N.W.A." All of these ideas culminate in their latest music video for "Something Good". It's a big dreamy mess of nearly a decade's worth of memorable imagery. As frivolous as everything seemed in the telephones' stupid disco songs and music videos, it's all heartwarming nostalgia now.
The meta of Bye Bye Hello goes a long way; so much that it even managed to enhance what has been the band's weakness: ballads. They've been getting a little bit better at it in the past two albums, but the heartfelt stuff on Bye Bye Hello is now my favorite material. You can feel the presence and importance of "Amber Romance" opening up the album more than any obligatory ballad they have drummed up to close out albums in the past.
Songs like "Amber Romance", "Something Good", "Thank You Disco!!!", and "Love is All" define this album. So much, that other tracks that don't have a "thank you, goodbye" theme to them feel out of place. It's a shame, because, they're fine songs! "Pretty Pretty Pretty" is a sweet little instrumental. "Let's Talk About Music" has that kind of "I can't tell of this is stupid, unconventionally clever, or accidentally brilliant" chram that Akria Ishige brings with his stunted English lyrics. "Relationships" and "Jesus" have the kind of fire that SUPER HIGH TENSION!!! tried to create last year. But all of those songs feel redundant and obstructive in the face of a wonderful little love letter the telephones have crafted for their fans.
Judging this album as if it stood on its own, I think there are only a few duds. "When The Zombies Come" goes nowhere" and the closer, "Evergreen" just doesn't have the same impact the rest of the ballads have. The rest of the album is fun, and there might be something newcomers get out of it. The bass lines are the dopest! I am amazed how innovative of a bassist, Ryohei Nagashima has become over the years. There is a sort of epicness in Nobuaki Okamoto's synthesizers this time out. "Last Night", "Jesus" and "My Hero" have these echoing Castlevanina like grand organ thing going. It's a cool little tweak in their sound, specific to only this album. Make no mistake though, this album is meant for fans, and the sentiment will certainly be lost on first-timers.
It's always great when a band has the oppurtinity to say goodbye on their own terms. I never thought the telephones would become a perfect example of that. I'm gonna miss these guys. Five years ago, they were nothing more than dumb fun to me, with no thought of that ever changing. Now that it's all said and done, they proved me wrong by staying (mostly) consistent through the years, and giving their insanity meaning.
So long, and thanks for the disco!
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