Sunny piano-led
indie-pop doesn’t sound like the most exciting thing in the world,
and that’s because, well, it isn’t. Depending on who you talk to,
anything from a Deal or No Deal marathon to finding an extra gherkin
on your Big Mac is more exciting, but that’s sort of the point;
it’s a straightforward genre which in its way might be just as
resistant to change as classic punk. But with less spitting.
And Clemency do it
well. Sidestepping the soggy limpness of Keane or the eyelid-drooping
powers of Coldplay, on debut album ‘You’ve Got The Fire’ the
band run through six slices of rousing, if predictable, indie-pop
which feels like it’s one prime-time advert soundtrack away from
being huge. Oklahoma brothers Jason and Paul Watkins crafted the
record in Nashville, and the music is all the better for its subtle
transatlantic timbres. After all, they can sing sunshine tunes from
experience, not from photographs.
From the second the
pure elation of opener ‘Color Hit The Canvas’ slaps against the
ear, this record is a watertight showcase of the Watkins’
formidable song writing talents, driven by stadium-sized drums and
iced with a sweetness which is pure cane sugar, not Splenda. There’s
no denying that the pop sensibilities win out over everything else,
and were it not for the intelligence and depth of the music over
which the vocals soar the airbrushed harmonies would start to grate.
There is a perfectly-judged earworm chorus on each track, and that
can only be commended, but something feels a little too perfect, a
little contrived, as the record wears on.
That’s not to say
this is a bad record. People (including your mum) will flock to it in
droves, especially if it hits the airwaves, and they could do a lot
worse. ‘Runaways’ moves with irresistible momentum, ‘When I’m
With You The Fireworks Go Off’ makes magnificent use of its piano
and ‘Heaven in the World We Know’ is a tender, if clichéd,
heartstring-tickler. It seems a fitting end to a record which feels
purpose-built for montages and mixtapes; in short, instances in which
it plays a supporting role to something more significant. I have my
doubts as to whether it’s able to stand on its own two feet, but I
suppose I’ll be eating my words when 10,000 people raise a warm
cider to it at this summer’s festivals.
Words - Joe Ponting
Released February 10th 2015