Bonfires on the Heath
Saying that the Clientele’s sound is informed by a variety of pop shadings from the ‘60s is like saying the Velvet Underground were sort of cool. Their fourth studio album (its cover art design another nod to decades past) is so steeped in pianos, wispy vocals and winsome harmonies that newcomers to the party may think these guys (and gal) are original Merseybeat hipsters reincarnated. As the Clientele has deepened its commitment to the string-laden, quasi-sunny Brit-pop of nearly five decades ago, they retain their dreamy aesthetic that envelopes the listener in melancholy; “Never Anyone But You” swoons with yearning, and other shimmering jewels, like the gorgeous title track and “Walking In the Park,” are produced with clarity and a polished sheen that becomes them. “I Wonder Who We Are” and “Share the Night” are shaken and stirred with dance beats and disco guitar riffs, and Arthur Lee and Love are evoked on the brilliant “I Know I’ll See Your Face.” *Bonfires On the Heath* is really one beautiful mood, and the subtle hooks and choruses throughout are almost secondary delights.
Capping off one of the decade's great bodies of mood music, the Clientele continue to conjure and charm through their evocative music.
It’s awfully apt of The Clientele to release its LP Bonfires On The Heath in October, since the record has the feel of falling leaves, fading light, and the distant smell of smoke. But isn’t that always true of The Clientele? Bonfires On The Heath continues one of the most remarkable winning streaks in alt-pop, in…
“Late October, sunlight in the wood / Nothing here quite moves the way it should,” sings Clientele frontman Alasdair…
The Clientele have always been autumnal and very English, and on their fourth album, Bonfires on the Heath, they may have created the most perfect autumnal English pop record imaginable.
Following some success with ‘God Save The Clientele’, particularly in America, The Clientele have returned to the mysterious dreamlike melancholy found on their early records.
<p>Alasdair MacLean's impressionistic imagery doesn't always justify his fondness for repeating himself, says <strong>Maddy Costa</strong></p>