Strange Geometry [Reissue] [LP]

by The Clientele

Overview

Rebounding after the ever-so-slightly samey feel of The Violet Hour, Strange Geometry reinvigorates the Clientele's literate, wistful indie pop with fresh doses of emotion, invention, and wit. As the Arthur Machen quote in the album's liner notes suggests, Strange Geometry is as much about London as it is about introspection and lost love: virtually every song on the album makes characters out of the tenement lines, gardens, trees, streets, and buildings that make up the city. In fact, these songs are so thematically tight that they resemble a collection of poems and short stories set to music, particularly on the largely spoken word "Losing Haringey," a breakup note to London with wonderfully evocative lyrics like "I was in an underexposed photo of 1982." All kinds of clever and experimental details decorate Strange Geometry, from the distant, operatic vocals that introduce "K" to the guitar melody that quotes the Crystals' "Then He Kissed Me" on "Since K Got Over Me." Fortunately, though, these extra bursts of creativity don't distract from the essential beauty of these songs. On both livelier tracks like "My Own Face Inside the Trees" and "E.M.P.T.Y." (which boasts bubblegum-psych string flourishes and fuzzy guitars) and immaculately groomed ballads like the soft, sweet sadness of "(I Can't Seem To) Make You Mine" and "Step into the Light," the Clientele have rarely sounded better. Despite a few sleepy moments on the album's second half, Strange Geometry has more flair and movement than Violet Hour, and perfects the band's ability to be uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time. ~ Heather Phares

Product Details

Release Date:	05/06/2016
Label:	Merge
UPC:	0673855026718
Rank:	25006

Tracks

1. Since K Got Over Me
2. (I Can't Seem) To Make You Mine
3. My Own Face Inside the Trees
4. K
5. E.M.P.T.Y.
6. When I Came Home from the Party
7. Geometry of Lawns
8. Spirit
9. Impossible
10. Step into the Light
11. Losing Haringey
12. Six of Spades

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Clientele   Primary Artist
Louis Philippe   String Conductor
Alasdair MacLean   Guitar,Vocals,Bouzouki,Sleigh Bells,Fender Rhodes
James Hornsey   Bass,Piano,Percussion,Organ (Hammond)
Mark Keen   Drums,Piano,Percussion,Organ (Hammond),Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

The Clientele   Composer
Louis Philippe   String Arrangements
Alasdair MacLean   Composer
Brian O'Shaughnessy   Producer
Paul Delvaux   Cover Image