The Telephone Numbers are a duo from San Francisco consisting of Thomas Rubenstein (The Lovebirds) and Glenn Donaldson (The Reds, Pinks and Purples, Art Museums and Skygreen Leopards) that seem intent on increasing the jangle quotient in a current indie-pop genre that threatens to be consumed by fuzz.

The best of the three tracks is undoubtedly the title track (see below) that permeates the splintered, tenuous jangly guitar riffs of 80’s / 90’s anglo indie-pop bands such as the Field Mice and Trembling Blue Stars with the less controlled, more passionate rounded vocal stylistics of Grant McLennan.

Whilst, Your Running Out of Time (see below) continues with a similar anglo jangly bias, the final track of the EP, strides confidently into covers territory and totally steals the The Keys, I Don’t Wanna Cry. With nothing more than an acoustic guitar and quivering vocals the version is imbued with a slightly countrified indie-folk bias. It’s very unindie-pop but ridiculously cool with the clipped distance of it’s production.

Glenn Donaldson has been incredibly busy with his The Reds, Pinks and Purples act over the last year and although perhaps just a little bit more melancholy and unclouded in aesthetic, The Telephone Numbers have the potential to be just as essential.

Artist Links:  Bandcamp