Words by Lydia Fitzer / Pics courtesy of The Clause
The Clause came to my attention in May of 2018, as the first of five bands performing in one gig. You’d think I’d have been more excited for the later acts, right? I mean, The Clause were the support of the support of the support of the support. You’d be wrong; so wrong, in fact, that I went on to dub them the biggest highlight of the evening. I positively raved about them. They gave by far the most original and enjoyable set of the night.
The thing you need to understand about The Clause is that they are too cool. They are sickeningly cool. I think they were born cool. When I saw them in 2018 they were in their late teens and already cooler than I have been in my whole life, but now they’ve ascended to a new level of coolness. (I can’t help but feel that it’s a little unfair – young people shouldn’t be allowed to be that badass. After all, the rest of us spent our teen years flailing under ten layers of dream matte mousse and social awkwardness. However, I digress.)
The Clause’s latest single, ‘In My Element’, is truly characteristic of their style. It’s masterfully put together; the deep, thrumming guitar riff is a proper earworm on its own and had me grooving within the first few seconds. The Clause showcased ‘In My Element’ at the aforementioned gig back in 2018, and I stand by what I said in my review: it’s enough to ‘make any rinky-dink panther dance’.
That analogy makes more sense knowing that the band used to incorporate the Pink Panther theme into the beginning of ‘In My Element’ – an effective quirk for a live show, making the crowd giggle with novelty. With that said, I understand why they didn’t keep it as part of the recorded single, probably coming across as a touch gimmicky. The Clause certainly have a sense of humour but make no mistake – they are here to be taken seriously.
They may be young, but they channel old-school in every note. Listening to ‘In My Element’ I could almost be at a record store playing a cassette, the sound is just so slick. It makes me want to oil my hair and stride down the street in a leather jacket and shades. Frontman Peirce McMenamin (vocals and guitar) is an absolute dream for this style. He has a nonchalant tenor vocal which is somehow both mellow in tone and edgy in delivery, keeping his voice regional and unstudied so it doesn’t feel forced.
‘In My Element’ ends a on playful chant – the musical equivalent of a wink and a cheeky grin. The Clause are getting sleeker and more refined with every new record, but I’m glad to see that they’re holding on to the imaginative flair that makes them truly special.
‘In My Element’ (official teaser) – The Clause
On Friday 12th July, The Clause release their latest single ‘In My Element’ – available to buy online via iTunes and The Clause’s own website shop. For more on The Clause, visit www.theclause.co.uk
Coinciding with the release of ‘In My Element’, The Clause will be playing at Nambucca in London on 13th July, as promoted by This Feeling – click here for event details and ticket sales.
For further tour and live gig dates from The Clause, visit www.theclause.co.uk/live
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