Album Reviews

The Clientele’s Alasdair Maclean has been seduced by the precious 60’s west coast soft pop of Curt Boettcher, The Association, Brian Wilson, Boyce-Hart, Papa John Philips and even Arthur Lee, though like his fellow seductee Sean O’Hagan of High Llamas, he hails from the UK.

This is The Clientele’s fourth album since 2000 but it’s the first I’ve heard of them, which admittedly is pathetic because I’m a sucker for this kind of purty white cornpone. Let me put it to you this way: if you hate The Bee Gees, if “Cherish” makes you wretch, if The Lovin’ Spoonful were too “zany” for you, stay away from this. If you love that stuff, order this now.

Within seconds of the beginning of the opening tune “Here Comes The Phantom,” if you’re of a certain age you’ll have an intense rush of nostalgia for a far less ironic time when, if the lyric talked of a violin playing, well damn it, the arrangement will include one (as it does here).

While it’s mostly wistful, orange-dappled Pacific Ocean sunsets and “ba bada bah” background singing when you hear the John Lennon meets Terry Kirkman meets The Gibb brothers’ “Isn’t Life Strange,” you’ll catch the English sensibility. Someone please tell me the song MacLean lifts the melody from for “From Brighton Beach to Santa Monica.” Despite the album title, I heard no Ray Davies influences but there’s one tune channeling Love Forever Changes.

Judging by this album’s homogenous vibe, I assume that this is MacLean’s stock in trade much as it is O’ Hagan’s, though he’s more Wilson/Pet Sounds-centric. If you sense you might be liking this album and you have no High Llamas get some. You can’t go wrong with Hawaii on vinyl.

MacLean sings/whispers in hushed bedroom tones as if he’s afraid of intruding upon your impending sleep and backs himself up with rich strings, soft solid body guitars and bass lines from James Hornsey that are among the most enticing and assertive I’ve heard in a long time.

The band members are named Mel, Mark, James and Alasdair (MacLean). There are four people shown in the photo, one of whom is a mini-skirted blonde fox. Is that Mel? Mark? Or James? That's what I want to know.

This album was recorded Sept. 2006 by Mark Nevers at The Beech House in Nashville and it’s as much of a throwback as the music, and of course that means it’s very well recorded and contains actual dynamic range and three dimensionality. It’s surprisingly lush and respectful of instrumental timbres and especially textures.

The recording caresses the instruments and that’s crucial for the communicative success of sensual, mid-tempo, string section orchestrated music like this. It sounds like an analog recording transferred to and mixed digitally and given a dusting of “glisten” on top of the vocals.

A musical and sonic joy that’s highly recommended!