Music: TELL Shifts Its Cinematic Alt-Rock into Overdrive With "Life In Reverse"
- Details
- Category: Theatre, Music
- Published on Friday, 03 May 2024 12:01
- Written by A&E Contributing Editor
At a time where most new bands try to appeal to as wide a potential fan base as possible, TELL knows its new album Life In Reverse may not be for everyone. And to the Boston quartet led by longtime musician, writer, and novelist David Wildman, that's perfectly alright.
Because while it may not appeal to everyone, it technically is about everyone. TELL's sophomore record, set for release on Friday, February 9 with a release party that night at The Middle East in Cambridge, serves as a cathartic release of pent-up tension by harnessing the headlines that dominate our newsfeed and filtering them though cinematic, anthemic, and highly memorable alternative rock. It's both confrontational and comforting, and underneath its gritty bark is a collection of six shimmering tracks that glow out of the speakers and may even inspire a dance party.
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And so while Life In Reverse is technically TELL's second album, following 2021's COVID-inspired, pandemic-born Stir Crazy, it does act as a sort of coming out party for the band with a lot to say and little regard for how it's received by many in our increasingly divided country.
"Lyrically, the album is awash in the experience we all have of living through these dark, weird times together, connected mostly through social media," says Wildman. "It's nearly impossible to avoid politics for me, so a number of the songs make reference to the cult-like mindset of a huge chunk of the population out there."
While their debut Stir Crazy was created in the era of social distancing, with vocalist and guitarist Wildman and bassist and vocalist Jay Raffi writing, recording, and collaborating remotely, Life In Reverse was crafted by the band in the studio with producer Benny Grotto of Mad Oak Studios in Allston, MA. Former drummer Chuck Ferriera and guitarist Ken Rothman were rounded out by new guitarist Jim Foster on guitar and vocals (Patrick Crann on drums has since replaced Ferriera). The result is a strong sense of chemistry and a newfound spark in the band's musical and lyrical voice.
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Nowhere is that spark more apparent than on "Owned," Life In Reverse's inspired opening track and lead single. It's an infectious draw into the world of TELL, soaked in modern rock knowhow and whip smart lyricism that would be a commercial radio hit on alt-rock stations across the FM dial – if alt-rock stations still existed on the FM dial. And it contains a wholly relatable tale that many of us have dealt with over the past few years.
"'Owned' opens the record with the story of how someone becomes wrapped up and dominated by a cult of one," Wildman explains. "It could be MAGA, or Jonestown, or just anyone that gives themselves completely to someone with a stronger personality than them, like a dominating spouse. In the end the protagonist comes to the conclusion that he was happier that way. It rocks hard and you can dance to it! And the chorus is wide open catharsis as the singer rails against his own nature, 'You were wrong, I will not be yours again.'"
That sense of defiance, inward and outward, is awash across the Life In Reverse lyrical spectrum, as Wildman embraces the news of the day, as harrowing as it may be, and crafts a storytelling narrative that often belies the music's upbeat and propulsive nature, touching down everywhere from indie to post-punk to prog and whatever else.
"We're probably going to piss off MAGA types with songs like 'Sweet Life', about a friend who threw away their life believing lies and drinking Ivermectin, and 'Shotgun Future', a funky, weirdly atmospheric Gang of Four-inspired number that shows off Jay's wild bass stylings that worship at the altar of Larry Graham. In it, a teacher tells kids they are welcome to bring their guns to school, unless they are 'gay or trans or black', leading to a school shooting of a different kind. There's a song about the disturbing modern isolation from each other that has become a way of life for us, called 'Shell'. Then we get to 'I Wish I Could Believe in God', my honest personal statement about a morbid fear of death and how I really envy those that have been able to convince themselves it's going to be something great."
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It's in that track, "I Wish I Could Believe in God," where the album gets its title, a shortening of the lyric "death is just life in reverse." And Wildman understands how that may be perceived, too.
"I'm sure that might put some people off as well, although there are a lot that might agree," he notes. "But like a lot of these songs, it's solid and compelling, you can dance to it, and sing the chorus. The rhythm is wild and herky jerky. The closing 'Space Time Continuum' takes this to the extreme, where the protagonist confronts 'the only thing that will survive' with Randy Newman-inspired sardonic humor. The music goes full on spaced-out Pink Floyd with a touch of Neil Young in the chorus."
In fact, Dark Side of the Moon could be considered a touchstone on how the varied songs on Life In Reverse hang together as a cohesive unit about the crazy mysteries of life we're all facing each and every day.
"For all these songs there is a musical theme that goes with the lyrical one," Wildman adds. "There is always aggression and tension in the taut, intertwined guitars of the verses often playing quirky melodies against each other. We made a rule about making the songs strum-free zones, which opens up space enough for both guitars as well as Jay's startlingly original bass work as well. Then when the choruses hit it breaks out into cinematic hooks with music and vocals reaching for the heights of emotion. The addition of guitarist Jim Foster really added to the sonic pallet, and helped shape this newer, more aggressive sound."
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That's certainly not to say TELL made a punk album. They simply created the album that they were set to make right now, in this sometimes blessed, often cursed 2024, as we head towards another presidential election and do our best to confront the chaos that seems to consume each day that passes. Life In Reverse may possess heavy lyrical themes, but its gritty sound is often euphoric. The sound of TELL has been evolving since the band's inception; this latest chapter is where TELL stands, collectively and creatively, in the right here, right now.
"I try to write as little as possible, just chords or a riff, and then a chorus and maybe a bridge, so that the boys can dig in with both hands and create," Wildman concludes. "Jay always comes up with something that takes the song in a direction I hadn't expected, Jim is a fountain of interesting melodies, and with our new drummer Pat adding some mayhem, and well-timed textured beats, we think we're onto something pretty cool."
Of course, that may depend on whom you ask.
Media Contact: Please direct press and radio inquiries to Michael Marotta at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and reach TELL at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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TELL is: David Wildman: Guitar and lead vocals, Jay Raffi: Bass and vocals, Patrick Crann: Drums, Jim Foster: Guitar and vocals. 'Life In Reverse' production credits:All songs written by David Wildman and arranged by TELL. Produced and mixed by Benny Grotto at Mad Oak Studios in Allston, MA
Boston band led by David Wildman unleashes gritty sophomore album,
featuring fiery new single 'Owned', on Friday, February 9
NOW PLAYING: Listen to 'Life In Reverse': Spotify x Bandcamp
Record release party goes down at The Middle East in Cambridge on February 9
Media praise for TELL:
The music of TELL can be heard and found on Alt Radio Rocks, Banks Radio Australia, Bay State Rock, Elastic Glam Radio Show, Everything You Know Is Wrong on Salem State WMWM, Garagerocktopia on KUCR, If It's Too Loud, Laura Beth's Mixtape Show on Reclaimed Radio, Marc's Alt-Rock Playground on Mark Skin Radio, On The Town with Mikey Dee on WMFO, Original Music Showcase on Mark Skin Radio, Rick's Rock Shop on WaveRadio Boston, Rising with Skybar on WMFO, Rock And Roll Fables, Rock Never Rusts on Eardrum Buzz, Sole of Indie, The Alternative Frequencies Rock Show on Leyland Radio, The Alternative Frequencies Rock Show on Leyland Radio, The Retweeter's Show on ZenoFM, and other fine stations, shows, and platforms.
"Oh man, check this song out…I love this — immediate love. It's pretty edgy." _Carmelita on Bay State Rock
"Awesome band called TELL with their stunning new track." _Isaac Banks on Banks Radio Australia
"TELL's Life In Reverse runs at around 24 minutes so there's no excuse not to give it an hour and play it twice. An interesting listen that has some catchy melodic tunes with thought provoking and at times ironic lyrics." _Maximum Volume Music
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"TELL just sounds like a Boston band… The new single sounds like a smorgasbord of Boston rock. It starts off with a more gritty, early 80's scene sound. It's that sound that came after punk, but before the more experimental post punk sound started. From there, "Owned" moves through 80's New Wave and 90's power pop. It does all of this while still sounding like the same song throughout its sonic transformations. …TELL are the kind of band that is going to hit a nostalgia button if you were involved in the Boston music scene at any point in the previous century." _If It's Too Loud
"'Sweet Life' is instantly an ageless classic tapping into the earnestness of Pearl Jam and Paul Westerberg or Ruin The Nite and The Cars if you wanna stay local with Wildman's words spilling out like poetry on a track that really captures that "Boston sound" especially when you get to the catchy, big chorus." _Rock and Roll Fables
"If anything, the music on Life In Reverse reminds me of the post 'Hunky Dory' and pre-'Young Americans' David Bowie. A giveaway is partly the way Wildman sings but also a little in the music. TELL's rock has that dragging in its vibe, as if things go slower musically than they really are. The album opens with 'Owned' though and enter The Kinks from 1980. …'Owned' is a great song in its own right. Guitars are all over the place and still a piano can take a short shining role in an interlude. The tight rhythm and chugging bass are the finishing touches to which the singing can start shining." _WoNoBlog
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"There is nothing quite like an amazing rock record… Every song has an authenticity and an energy that draws not from the past but also offers a new vibe and sound that is welcomed in today's otherwise mundane musical landscape." _The Whole Kameese
"Quiet visionaries in the footsteps of Television, melding new wave/punk and art-rock with virtuosity and detail." _Ted Drozdowski in Premier Guitar Magazine
"Timeless riffs and steady backbeats open up to anthemic arena-ready choruses." _Graeme Bentley, Music Director, Boston's 92.5 The River
"If you're a first-class songwriter, being shut down just might wind up turning you loose. David Wildman has written his share of gems over the years, often in bands that deserved way more attention than they got. His new band TELL refines the moody yet pop-centric approach he's had all along. They deliver a classically jangly guitar hook on 'Citizen of the World,' a taste of vintage Cars on 'Rosemary Goes Away' or slide into a spooky, Cure-like groove on 'Ghost on the Radio.' But the real news here is Wildman's flair for storytelling: The songs here present characters who are a little offbeat, sometimes flawed but always recognizable, all making their way through a desperate era. It's a lot like real life in these times, only catchier." _Boston music writer Brett Milano
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"TELL is a fierce guitar-driven rock n roll pop trio (both raucous and meticulous). Their first full album. Stir Crazy, has 9 big songs, sharp production with unexpected chord changes that burst into wide screen choruses. TELL is a good name for the band as Wildman is a writer/author (I loved his hard-edged movie reviews in The Dig), so his clear as day lyrics have that ring of observational truth. As a ref, I'd say The Kinks, Ian Hunter come to mind. The claustrophobia of the shut in threads through the record and has ya wanting to see the band live." _Boston music scene veteran Rick Berlin
