Care

“It can be a bit much,” guitarist Jack Summers yells a few minutes into CLAMM’s second album. *Care* is reliably stocked with such bitter yet understated mantras, repeated against a woolly din of garage-punk. But as the Melbourne trio vents about feeling overwhelmed by personal issues (“That Way”) or the pitfalls of overthinking (“I Can Do It”), there’s a reliable degree of vulnerability to their cathartic outbursts. Arriving two years after the band’s 2020 debut, *Beseech Me*, this record features new bassist Maisie Everett, who sings in tandem with Summers on the frantic standout “Monday.” Another frustrated chronicling of post-pandemic life as a twentysomething, it’s CLAMM’s most melodic turn to date. Many of these 15 curt tracks are more layered and obtuse, leaning into Iceage-esque effects and atmosphere. Stormy swathes of sax and synth also contribute to the newfound breadth here, but never at the expense of needling immediacy.

Melbourne's CLAMM vent frustration and helplessness in 'Care', an album that points to a intriguing creative future – read the NME review

Just over a year after their debut CLAMM's follow up Care finds a new sense of urgency with even more electrifying and brash sounds