On their full-length album Amber, U.K. band Clearlake suffers from mid-album syndrome - meaning that like their club-loving fans, they start off going great guns with everything polished only to stumble half-way through - seemingly from exhaustion. However, the boys in the band do rally to finish strongly just before daylight intrudes on their black and gray mood.
Clearlake’s Amber starts off with a beat that’s a bit more rock than techno on their openers “No Kind of Life” and “It’s Getting Light Outside”. There’s the requisite chugging guitar and drums that are almost tribal sounding, but there’s still an overall feeling of pretty melancholy that is strictly Clearlake. They manage to take the vibe left-over from The Pet Shop Boys and filter it through the hyper-dreaminess of the Doves creating a feeling that is both independent of and greater than the other two.
A good start - yes, which makes it even more infuriating when the band veers off into various other styles in the middle of the album. There’s the title track “Amber” with an ominous metallic heaviness interspersed with tinkling sounds worthy of Tinker Bell, herself. “Good Clean Fun” wants to be punk, but just comes off as sloppy and unfinished. “You Can’t Have Me” has great sneering lyrics like “Let’s get one thing clear / You can’t have me” that should be delivered with a real kick and a snarl, but instead, singer Jason Pegg chooses a monotone ballad style.
But, just when you’re ready to throw your hands up in the air, Clearlake brings it home with a set of stunning closers like “Neon” and the wonderfully cynical “I Hate It That I Got What I Wanted”. “Neon” is both a tribute to early Black Sabbath and The Clash. Hard acts to follow, but the band proves they’re up to the task by making every element sing with a fierce sense of urgency.
Clearlake has the musical chops to succeed, but they just have to firmly nail down their sound and identity as a band. Do they want to follow in the footsteps of The Pet Shop Boys and New Order or do they want to be the cousins of The Clash? I’m up for either one, but it’s time to choose. |