Wednesday, January 31, 2007

The Coolness of the Evening Light



#9 Suburban Light - The Clientele

The cover art for this album personifies The Clientele's sound perfectly - hazy, intriguing, minimalistic. Having seen this band twice, it is how I picture them as well. Three average guys with no flair about them, emanating a mysteriously enticing vibe. The most impressive thing about this band is that they are a trio. Having attempted to create a full sound with three people, I know how challenging it can be. (We called in a super hero to help us.) These guys pull it off with ease. The guitars are hauntingly seductive. The drums are simple, sometimes jazzy and always perfect. Alasdair's voice floats above it all as he poetically muses over things that most of us would pass by without noticing.

While I also enjoy, The Violet Hour and Strange Geometry, this album is by far my favorite. I think it is due to the fact that the songs were originally released as individual 7 inch singles. Each song flows into the next, yet still stands out in some respect. Their other albums are much more cohesive and I tend to skip to my favorite tracks. Its hard to pick a favorite on this one, but one track of note is (I Want You) More Than Ever. The cover of this single is also quite lovely as displayed on a shelf in our living room.

3 comments:

Big Cougar said...

"We can walk together in the rain..."

That was the first Clientele song I ever heard (I played it on 88.7), and it is still my favorite. I agree with you that this collection is better than the later two records, even though it is a collection of singles. But isn't Eponymous better than Life's Rich Pageant?

Lucky Strikes said...

Suburban Light might be the best album I've ever been given. Thanks again, Mama & Papa...

Sugar Mama said...

Thats what I would like to know B.C.

If they don't make a single appearance I'm going to have to question your integrity.