It seems a little strange that you’d open a record with a six minute track, but if were talking about Melbourne punk collective Clowns new album Lucid Again, which we are, then it totally works fine. It’s a slow build to the middle of the chorus, but then the band kicks into over gear and it sounds a little bit Brian Jonestown Massacre-y, and maybe to a lesser extent Tame Impala.
Their previous album Bad Blood took out the #1 spot for Triple j’s Short Fast Loud album poll back in 2015 and it’s easy to see that this is a band on the rise. With more to say than ever, this album is loud, abrasive, rough and ready to go. Thundering drum and psychedelic electric guitar greets your ears as you delve into ‘Like a Knife At A Gunfight’. There’s a lo-fi 70’s tinge to this punk rock but it’s definitely one to entice you further and further into the moshpit. Stevie Williams vocals are full of conviction and emotion and the band sounds as tight as they have ever been.
It’s no surprise reading that Clowns have supported NOFX and Rise Against, because with their third album they have delivered a highly charged set of nine tracks set to explode. There’s only one way to listen to Clowns impressive new album Lucid Again and that’s loud.
4/5 Stars
Poison City Records
Reviewed by Tex Miller
