The Clockworks - The Entertainment (V2 Records)
Release Date: Out Now
I feel like London based Irishmen the Clockworks have moved firmly from rising stars to reliably brilliant stalwarts of the UK music scene. 'The Entertainment' is the band's new album and we get going breathlessly with 'How To Exist' using Jazz inspired piano and a fidgeting rhythm underpinning the kind of vocal delivery that is both a stream of consciousness and a testament to the lung capacity of frontman James McGregor. Recent single 'Best Days' slows down slightly and gives us space to admire the beauty of the dark indie that these four create before 'Getaway Car' adopts the malevolent swagger of Nick Cave and the performative delivery of Suede in the most wonderful pairing.
The rumbling piano and bass of 'La Dolce Vita' gives strong Jim Jones vibes but mixed with hints of Franz Ferdinand, Editors and the Divine Comedy. The dark underbelly continues on 'Work In Progress' with some hypnotically winding guitars before 'The Actor' goes all film noir on us with vocals drifting almost hopelessly across a landscape of discarded synths. 'Magnificent Seven' picks up the energy levels again with a twitchy beat and McGregor's breathless vocals creating an anxiety inducing soundscape that is punctured by the late-80s inspired chorus. Pomp and a macabre circus aesthetic on 'The Double' bring Erotic Secrets of Pompeii to mind while 'Well Well Wellness' opens the door and lets light flood in to remind you that the sun still rises every day, no matter what the night has done to you.
'Through The Looking Glass' starts in a moody space but then punches through the cloud to go all Joy Division on us before 'True Romance' gives us the full lighters (or flash lights) in the air treatment with a stunning piano based ballad. The album comes to a whisky soaked and tired end on the title track and 'The Entertainment' soundtracks the closing down of the club and putting up of the shutters as another night of debauchery comes to an end. As always with the Clockworks, this feels like an album that they have put their heart, soul and every breath into so it's not one to take lightly but definitely one to spend some time with - I've a sneaking suspicion it could become a bit of a slow burning success.
More information: https://www.instagram.com/theclockworks
Live Dates:
July: (supporting Johnny Marr)
Thurs 9th – Manchester – Castlefield Bowl
Fri 10th – Dublin – The Iveagh Gardens
October:
Fri 9th – Leeds – Brudenell Social Club
Sat 10th – Birmingham – Mama Roux’s
Sun 11th – Glasgow – Oran Mor
Wed 14th – Manchester – Academy 3
Fri 16th – London – Scala
Sun 25th – Prague – Cargo Gallery
Mon 26th – Munich – Kranhalle
Tues 27th – Warsaw – Hydrozagadka
Wed 28th – Berlin – Neue Zukunft
Thurs 29th – Copenhagen – Vega
Sat 31st – Aarhus – Voxhall
November:
Sun 1st – Hamburg – Bahnhof Pauli
Mon 2nd – Cologne – Bumann & Sohn
Wed 4th – Utrecht – Ekko
Thurs 5th – Amsterdam – Tolhuistuin
Thurs 6th – Luxembourg – De Gudde Wellen
Fri 7th – Brussels – Ancienne Belgique
Sat 8th – Paris – Petit Bain