Rule one when sending off CDs to get reviews – always, always, always make sure you put enough stamps on the envelope. Usually anything that comes through the post with “you owe us £1.14” on it gets discarded and the CD gets forgotten about, but for some reason I picked this one up. Clarky Cat, you’re lucky pussies. Anyway, with these guys already chalking up black marks, and with the CD not even out of its case, the omens were not looking good. Even worse when the accompanying bio described the band as ‘Clarky Cat – punk band’. Nothing like selling yourselves…
This foursome, selling themselves short on stamps and descriptions aside, play a better than average brand of groove-laden, bass-inspired music. It’s a cauldron of smoking tunes that could, in a few years time, sound pretty cool. I think the singer would need to start a 40-a-day habit to get his voice all crackly and cool sounding, but there are elements here which suggest Clarky Cat can cast aside the piss poor name and do something productive. The three songs here were apparently recorded in one day – yet they’ve probably got a better sound than some bands who take a week. Much to work on mind – the lack of choruses and the non-descript vocals weaken things up, but still, I was gunning to pluck these fuckers out of the air and lay the smackdown on them ‘cos they cost me a quid, yet they’ve still managed half marks. They can’t be that bad then…
www.purevolume.com/clarkycat
Paul