As Telekinesis, Michael Benjamin Lerner has churned out three albums full of earnest, hooky power pop since 2009, establishing himself as one of the most critically underrated artists in music along the way. At his best, he’s resembled Transatlanticism-era Death Cab — which would make sense, as Chris Walla was behind the boards on his first two records. But with Ad Infinitum, Telekinesis’ latest, Lerner seems to be making a conscious attempt to reinvent himself, with mixed results.
On 2013’s Dormarion, Lerner began dropping hints of his inevitable transition to synthpop, thanks to tracks like “Ghosts and Creatures” and “Ever True.” But that message was lost in translation, as those two tracks are surrounded by Telekinesis’ trademark pop rock. Ad Infinitum is jarring in that way. With the exception of maybe a couple of songs, it’s all synthpop, for better or worse.
Ad Infinitum is like audio wallpaper: It’s not a bad album, but it’s also not a great one; it’s just there. Granted, there are a few gems — “Courtesy Phone” sounds like vintage Telekinesis with a few bleeps and bloops added, and the laconic “Sleep In” is a departure in all the right ways, trading Lerner’s spastic vibe for Postal Service-esque electropop. As a whole, however, the album underwhelms.
If early Telekinesis is comparable to Transatlanticism, then Ad Infinitum, with its abandonment of normal rock instrumentation and embrace of synths, is most like Codes and Keys. The difference is that even at his most neurotic, Death Cab frontman Ben Gibbard has always seemed sure of himself, while Michael Benjamin Lerner seems unwilling to change without first asking his audience, “This is okay, right?”
I’m all for artists challenging themselves and their listeners. Brand New is one of my favorite bands, and none of their four albums sound at all alike. But that’s what makes a challenge like that work — it’s all about unexpectedness and commitment. Rather than charging headlong into his new sound, Lerner seems to be constantly dipping his toe in the water; even standouts like “Courtesy Phone” show that Lerner will go back to the guitar-and-drums thing if electronics don’t work out.