Clearlake - 'Cedars' (Domino)
4/5
By: Toby L
Upon creating 'Lido' - one of 2001's most brightly regarded albums of the year by critics - Clearlake immediately transformed themselves overnight from the look of a bunch of students-got-lucky to that of epic, majestic rock-lords. Now, the fact they were so crass as to leave us for almost two whole years before delivering a follow-up either shows their strength as musicians to create a superior successor, or the fact that they were too commonly hob-nobbing with the likes of celebby-mate fans such as Jarv. Cocker, Stephen Malkmus or - perish the though - Mark & Lard, instead of getting down to some focussed graft.
Fortunately for us, it was the first prospect they must have opted for; thus, no longer do they pen tales of jumble-sales and other lank-haired subject-matter, and in their time away, the quartet obviously took the best notes of their received press - i.e. to sound like a deformed Smiths off for a day in the swimming-pool whilst Gorky's Zygotic Mynci act as life-guards - shacking up in France to record what could be the finest clutch of songs their career will ever associate to. As if that wasn't enough, they even drafted in an emergency-visit from ex-Cocteau Twin, Simon Raymonde on mixing-duties.
With the puzzle complete, you'd be forgiven for thinking that you're listening to a different band entirely as first single 'Almost The Same' floats from the speakers and conjures a mystical swath of fierce, upbeat, rampaging noise. But we're back with the good ole' 'Lake by the instant 'The Mind Is Evil' reveals itself, surging turgidly with its glorious strings and Jason Pegg's deadpan croon, its partnering 'Wonder If The Snow Will Settle' as intrinsically beautiful as this quirky foursome can get.
Elsewhere, the messy art-rock makes a predictable re-emergence otherwise in the strangely affirming fuzz of 'Come Into The Darkness', whilst the bluesy 'Just Off The Coast' and distant reverberations of 'It's All Too Much' shall satisfy the weirdo-stoners quite magically. And in a restful 'Trees In The City', all pianos and echoing vocals, we return to peace and tranquillity again, strangely affected by the presence of a record that really has taken us on a voyage quite unlike any other, before dropping us off again to resume a pedestrian style of living.
Hmm. Why the emptiness afterwards then? Possibly because you've just been provided a privileged insight, a sacred glimpse, into something too special for a mere one-visit. If so, thank the powers that be for the medium of recorded-music - because this treat sounds like one that is best experienced in multiple outings.
Artists in this article: Clearlake
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