Review: Takipsilim by Autotelic

I was ready to call Takipsilim, the surprise new EP from Autotelic, a necessary refinement of their sound. I had many reasons to like their last album but had difficulty with both the length and the lack of a satisfying arc. But then this EP also seems to be populated, in part, by songs that didn’t make that album’s final cut – or at least that’s the case with “Papunta Pabalik”, which shares a name with that album. But all that rumination diminishes the steps forward the band takes here. Takipsilim doesn’t alter Autotelic’s sound drastically, but it allows them (and me) to articulate it better. The title track actually helped me define it better: it reminds me of early True Faith both in the build-up, in pop sensibility and its sense of sophistication. I’ll even say the five tracks in the record feel like they have more direction, even “Kahit”, which at five and a half minutes made me panic a bit – the song lengths pulled Papunta Pabalik down – but rewarded with an effectively downbeat ballad. They’ve stocked up goodwill here – even the final track, which should also stick out, feels just right here. (Why didn’t it make the final cut?) I’ll say Autotelic have learned their lessons, and are continuing to do so: Takipsilim is a good indicator of what’s to come. [NB] | 4/5