One of my favourite things about music is the individuality of musical taste and appreciation. Clubfeet’s new album Heirs & Graces is a reminder of this, as after a few listens, I found myself a little underwhelmed by the 1st single, and radio favourite, Heartbreak. That’s by no mean saying that it is a bad song, but the album has so much more to offer. Tracks such as the opener My Shadow, the brilliant Everything You Wanted and the dance inducing 2nd single Cape Town are standouts.
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The album has its feet planted in the club, but the rest of the body somewhere else entirely, indicating a band with diverse musical tastes and influences. Whilst it is largely based around steady electro beats, the album strays at times towards radio friendly guitar pop, then threatening to burst into experimental soundscapes, with many songs based around rich, dark synth tones. The Vibraphone melody line throughout Acapulco and LA, and the almost tacky but somehow cool Saxophone line on Cold Rain are worth a special mention.
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The band is made up of Australians and South Africans, with the album being recorded in Melbourne, Sydney and Cape Town, and was mixed in New York by Victor Van Vugt. Having been frequently compared to Cut Copy, the comparison is at times apt. However, there is a bit of Hot Chip, early MGMT, and healthy dose of M83, and perhaps just a touch of Temper Trap. Along with a great sense of melody, the band has a fantastic ability to get forward momentum in the songs, the songs just flow, which is not always an easy achievement.
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For me this album makes me think of long drives on a summer’s day, country air and blue skies. This is an upbeat album, but it is the element of melancholy, both musically and lyrically, that makes this album special. I am a big fan of a driving beat, but add a minor key in there as well and I’m hooked.
Nick Cheek
