Since their 1987 formation, Stephen Lawrie’s Telescopes have released a slate of albums that sit at varying levels of listenability. Initially battling against record magnates’ demands for hits, Lawrie has gradually filtered out third party expectations and honed in on his core instincts to produce creations based on uncompromised beliefs.
Teaming up with St. Deluxe for ‘As Light Return’, the Telescopes’ ninth studio effort, the album marks a step away from its more accessible predecessor, ‘Hidden Fields’. On that occasion, ‘songs’ were more visible and the record had several digestible chunks ranging between three and six minutes in length.
There is only one similar cut on the new LP: the sub-four minute opener You Can’t Reach What You Hunger. There’s plenty of guitar squalls and feedback-drenched sound but, in a similar way to the Telescopes’ most obvious peers in My Bloody Valentine and (early) Jesus And Mary Chain, there’s something melodic going on beneath the shroud.
The remainder of the album will push many to their limits. It contains just five tracks with its closing number, Handful of Ashes, running to almost 14 minutes. It’s one for hardcore fans only and will test your resolve with a constant, droning hum that lasts for the entire length of the track. It's impenetrable but for the occasional distant vocal and shimmering cymbals.
The similarly named Hand Full of Ashes is much easier on the ears, but even then it’s a funereal trudge through more feedback and screeching guitars. Its transparent drums and vocals are pushed more to the forefront, though, resulting in an endurance test that is mesmerising as opposed to overwhelming.
Down On Me also captures the imagination with its barren, desolate construction. It could either point the mind to post-apocalyptic obliteration or to the doors of hell being slowly eased open. It’s something to zone out to, with some delicate instrumentation breaking up the drone.
Completing the collection is the more accessible Something In My Brain. It boasts a more obvious beat and – for once – lyrics you can actually decipher if you listen closely. Although it perhaps steers away from Lawrie’s core slightly, it is one of the more universally enjoyable moments despite sounding like a prelude to a death row visit.
Lawrie has recently stated that his “specific intention is always to create a listening experience reaching beyond the realm of natural vision”. ‘As Light Return’ backs up the claim that his music is to be experienced rather than enjoyed by many listeners. For those that prefer the more hardcore Telescopes, though, it’s a welcome addition.
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