Telen Rodwell – Heart of Gold – 4th March – Borough Records

Telen Rodwell – Heart of Gold – 4th March – Borough Records

It’s always fantastic to receive news of an independent record label bringing out a release from a new, independent pop artist. The commercialisation of the genre often dilutes it to the point where ‘pop music’ is something to be sneered at, and it’s easy to forget that there are genuine writers out there, artists who prefer to write in this vein.

Telen Rodwell is one of these writers, telling stories through well written lyrics and filtering them through pop sensibilities to create something that sets him apart from other artists working in the same genre. ‘Heart of Gold’ is a suitable debut, a story of the difficulties of coming of age, struggling to make that breakthrough into adulthood as Rodwell tries to make a similar graduation into the music industry.

It’s everything that good, upbeat pop should be – swimming in major chords, played on clearly captured acoustic guitar. The production is excellent, making the most of a strong vocal that sits comfortably in the mix. It’s easy to imagine it catching on, and gives high hopes for forthcoming album Shadowman.