Description:
God Save the Clientele has better manners than the London quartet's previous release Strange Geometry, with a little less reverb and tighter production. But it's a very similar record. The band continues to mine '60s-era British pop, drawing heavily on the traditions of Fairport Convention and the invasion rush of bands like the Zombies. It's a hard thing to do without sounding twee a la Belle & Sebastian or overtly literate like Pulp. The Clientele's secret is they don't try and reinvent or fetishize their influences, ending up with music that sounds free and forward-thinking. A love letter to London from the vantage point
God Save the Clientele has better manners than the London quartet's previous release Strange Geometry, with a little less reverb and tighter production. But it's a very similar record. The band continues to mine '60s-era British pop, drawing heavily on the traditions of Fairport Convention and the invasion rush of bands like the Zombies. It's a hard thing to do without sounding twee a la Belle & Sebastian or overtly literate like Pulp. The Clientele's secret is they don't try and reinvent or fetishize their influences, ending up with music that sounds free and forward-thinking. A love letter to London from the vantage point of a wide-eyed boy taking a stroll, the songs here are simple delights, hopping in puddles and gazing at the blue Hyde Park sky. Hints of autumn play around the edges of smiley songs like "Here Comes the Phantom" and "The Dance of the Hours," but the optimism competes with wistful melancholies. "Isn't Life Strange" and "No Dreams Last Night" prick the good vibes with a sense that heartache is never far off. Of course, that only spikes the hopeless romance the band excels at. You could do a lot worse than to waste a day listening to the Clientele and wandering aimlessly, letting the vapor of time slip through your fingers. --Matthew Cooke
Album Description
On their third full-length, The Clientele are setting free their inner Monkees with a lovely blend of Big Star twisted powerpop, Byrdsian country achin', and flashes of The Beatles at their most joyful and upbeat. The ghosts, half-light, and uncertainties remain, but included in this music is a newfound optimism. With the addition of piano and violin, the band paints from a broader palette, adding splashes of pedal steel and slide guitar to their already lush songs. Their most accomplished and triumphant record. Recorded in Nashville with Mark Nevers (Lambchop, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Calexico, Silver Jews).
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Manufacturer: Merge Records
Release date: 8 May 2007
EAN: 0673855029726 UPC: 673855029726
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