Album Review: Clinic - Free Reign

Free Reign is a strong album, even when up against Clinic's existing repertoire. The strangely muted wistfulness of their previous record, Bubblegum, is back, but it's hiding behind a murky wall of sinister artificiality. Instead of guitars doing the heavy lifting, the simple whirring melodies incorporate strobing synths hissing and threatening the industrial drum machines as they softly throb, Ade Blackburn's creepy incantations drifting over the top. It's a strange form of post-punk that you never really get used to.

Its impressive textures lull you into a false sense of security, but then everything comes unhinged with weird harmonies and chord changes. Miss You has some nice passages early on, but then layers of vibration begin to shake things up and by the end it's a steady surge of Krautrock malevolence. Moving into For The Season, it feels like they're hosting their own weird cocktail party. A steady bass line slinks away underneath a low, shimmering guitar, setting the mood. Everything's going smoothly and then you realise how strong the 3/4 time signature is and all you can hear is the faux cymbal tapping on the third beat. The chords follow suit, changing mechanically, and it suddenly feels like a waltz. Then out of the dark a saxophone starts up, changing the vibe again.

It's this schizophrenic approach to their songwriting that's part of Clinic's charm. They're not without discipline and their music is highly approachable, especially here on Free Reign. This is actually a good starting point for the uninitiated and comes highly recommended.