The Clientele | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Retrofitted pop band the Clientele had obvious roots in the hazy, autumnal glare of Galaxie 500 and Felt. Just as those bands took their Velvet Underground and Television records to heart without being derivative, the Clientele were able to chalk up an extensive discography riddled with lush melodies of their own without sounding like a tribute band. Think of your favorite 60s pop band and odds are theyre in the Clienteles blood. The London-based band formed in mid-1997, consisting of Alasdair MacLean (guitar and vocals), Innes Phillips (guitar and vocals), James Hornsey (bass), and Howard (drums). Mark Keen replaced the academically occupied Howard toward the end of 1999; Phillips left early on to form the Relict, a group with a varied membership that has occasionally included Clientele members. After debuting on the Fierce Panda labels Cry Me a Liver compilation, the Clientele released a slew of singles, compilation contributions, and EPs in short order. Most significantly, March released A Fading Summer in 2000, an EP that harvested some of the bands hard-to-find singles and a couple new recordings. Later that year, the full-length Suburban Light (another compilation of previously recorded material) was issued by Pointy. The band hooked up with Merge in early 2001, which issued Suburban Light in the U.S. months later. The Lost Weekend EP came out on Acuarela in 2002, which was followed a year later by their first proper album and Merge debut, The Violet Hour. Strange Geometry arrived in 2005, and in 2006 the band added keyboardist/violinist/percussionist Mel Draisey to its ranks. God Save the Clientele, which featured production by Mark Nevers of the bands U.S. labelmates Lambchop, was released in spring 2007. Bonfires on the Heath, another release for Merge, was issued during fall 2009. The Minotaur EP, which followed in August of 2010, was made up of songs recorded during the sessions for Bonfires on the Heath. Despite the Clienteles claims of giving up touring after their worldwide jaunt promoting Bonfires, they returned to the U.S. for live dates after the EPs release. Soon after these dates, however, the group members announced they were going on indefinite hiatus. MacLean formed a new band called Amor de Dias, and the rest went their separate ways until re-forming (minus Draisey) to play a one-off show in 2013 at the Pop Revo Festival in Denmark. Things remained quiet on the recording front, and the band surprised many fans by scheduling a U.S. tour in early 2014 to coincide with Merges 25th birthday festivities and the deluxe reissue of Suburban Light. The release of the career retrospective Alone & Unreal: The Best of the Clientele in September of 2015 provided the band another excuse to play a live show, while MacLean set fans hearts aflutter by sharing the news in an interview that the band had one side of a new album finished. Indeed, MacLean had been working with an old friend, Anthony Harmer, on new songs, with MacLean coming up with words and music and Harmer working out arrangements. Hornsey and Keen soon joined them and the band went to work on their fifth album and first in seven years. 2017s Music for the Age of Miracles featured the core trio plus Harmer on guitars, vocals, keyboards, saz, and santoor (an Iranian string instrument) with a guest appearance by harpist Mary Lattimore. The album was released by Merge and Tapete in September of 2017. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 14 Title: A Fading Summer EP Released: 2000-06 Tracks: 4 Duration: 13:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 An Hour Before the Light (02:30) 2 Driving South (04:49) 3 Bicycles (02:21) 4 Saturday (03:49) |
 | Album: 2 of 14 Title: Suburban Light Released: 2000-11 Tracks: 23 Duration: 1:18:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 I Had to Say This (03:34) 2 Rain (02:34) 3 Reflections After Jane (03:21) 4 We Could Walk Together (02:34) 5 Mondays Rain (05:05) 6 Joseph Cornell (02:23) 7 An Hour Before the Light (02:30) 8 (I Want You) More Than Ever (03:03) 9 Saturday (03:52) 10 Five Day Morning (04:08) 11 Bicycles (02:14) 12 As Night is Falling (05:13) 13 Lacewings (03:44) 1 Sarahs Prelude (01:47) 2 6am Morningside (01:51) 3 From a Window (02:41) 4 What Goes Up (03:35) 5 Driving South (04:49) 6 Porcelain (Portastudio version) (03:30) 7 May Has Brought a Change in You (02:27) 8 Mondays Rain (Portastudio version) (04:08) 9 Tracy Had a Hard Day Sunday (04:48) 10 Six Foot Drop (04:13) |
| Suburban Light : Allmusic album Review : Even as the Clienteles hazy, soft-focus indie pop suggests the influence of virtually every musical ancestor worth acknowledging, the bands pastoral beauty nevertheless conjures a dreamscape entirely its own; fusing the heady otherness of psychedelia with the gentle caress of folk, Suburban Light swirls and settles like gold dust. Like the artist Joseph Cornell, the titular subject of one of the discs most memorable songs, the Clientele assemble and juxtapose found fragments (collected from forebears like Love, Nick Drake, and Donovan) and transform their source materials into something magical and new; although the records 13 cuts assemble various singles and scattered recordings, the finished product hangs together with a clear sense of purpose and scope. While Alasdair MacLeans plain-spoken, heartfelt vocals and subtle guitar arpeggios are the focus of the record, its impossible to underrate the thoughtful, always supportive bass playing of James Hornsey and drummers Daniel Evans and Howard Monk. Together they create a haunting, poetic, and rich sound thats unlike any indie pop being created by their contemporaries. Suburban Light is a brilliant introduction to the band, and over repeated listens, the songs grow both more distinctive and more interconnected, boasting a richly nuanced intricacy as intoxicating as it is elusive. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 14 Title: Lost Weekend EP Released: 2002-03 Tracks: 5 Duration: 20:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 North School Drive (02:24) 2 Boring Postcard (01:09) 3 Emptily Through Holloway (05:57) 4 Kelvin Parade (04:07) 5 Last Orders (06:35) |
 | Album: 4 of 14 Title: The Violet Hour Released: 2003-07-07 Tracks: 13 Duration: 49:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The Violet Hour (04:55) 2 Voices in the Mall (02:09) 3 When You and I Were Young (03:50) 4 Missing (04:52) 5 Jamaican Rum Rhumba (01:20) 6 House on Fire (04:23) 7 Everybodys Gone (03:02) 8 Porcelain (03:33) 9 Haunted Melody (02:13) 10 Prelude (02:21) 11 Lamplight (06:43) 12 The House Always Wins (08:02) 13 Policeman Getting Lost (02:20) |
| The Violet Hour : Allmusic album Review : In some ways, its hard to believe that The Violet Hour is the Clienteles first proper full-length album. The band has released so many lovely singles and EPs in the five years prior to this album that it seems like a full-length release must have come out a few years ago (2001s singles collection Suburban Light doesnt count). The wait was well worth it, though; The Violet Hour not only perfects the gorgeously hazy pop of their previous releases, it also adds a guileless freshness to it that is completely apt for their debut album. As with most of their other work, in The Violet Hours world its always summer, and usually sunset; instantly nostalgic, poignant tunes such as "Voices in the Mall" and "Everybodys Gone" capture the dusky side of summer perfectly. Indeed, most of the album reflects -- and radiates -- warmth, from its generally languid mood to the way its songs blend into each other like slow-flowing honey. Alasdair MacLeans whispery vocals are drenched in faraway reverb, and, along with the bands sleepy guitars and understated drums, creates such an exquisite ambience that the albums unhurried tempos and melodies never sound boring. While "The Violet Hour" and "House on Fire" breeze along on slightly livelier tempos, and "The House Always Wins" ignites into the Clienteles version of rock, none of these songs break the spell that is cast by "When You and I Were Young," "Lamplight," and "Haunted Melody"; and that spell is deepened by the chiming bells that punctuate the album. With so much going on musically, The Violet Hour doesnt even need meaningful lyrics, but it delivers those too, especially on "Missing," where MacLean sighs, "Ive got so much longing in my heart that I cant even sleep" with such sweetly quiet resignation that its breathtaking, once you hear it. Its true that the Clienteles influences still shine through in their music, yet the band doesnt sound derivative; by not trying to overtly rework their sound or hide their roots, they allow themselves -- and their listeners -- to just revel in the beauty of their music. So, while The Violet Hour doesnt offer anything different from the Clienteles previous work, it does offer more of it, and that is a wonderful thing. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 14 Title: Ariadne EP Released: 2004-03-01 Tracks: 5 Duration: 19:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Enigma (00:40) 2 Summer Crowds in Europe (03:12) 3 The Sea Inside a Shell (08:32) 4 Ariadne Sleeping (02:53) 5 Impossible (04:25) |
 | Album: 6 of 14 Title: Strange Geometry Released: 2005-08-29 Tracks: 12 Duration: 41:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Since K Got Over Me (03:50) 2 (I Cant Seem to) Make You Mine (03:38) 3 My Own Face Inside the Trees (03:08) 4 K (02:41) 5 E.M.P.T.Y. (04:24) 6 When I Came Home From the Party (02:53) 7 Geometry of Lawns (02:52) 8 Spirit (02:52) 9 Impossible (05:06) 10 Step Into the Light (04:00) 11 Losing Haringey (04:01) 12 Six of Spades (02:21) |
| Strange Geometry : Allmusic album Review : Rebounding after the ever-so-slightly samey feel of The Violet Hour, Strange Geometry reinvigorates the Clienteles literate, wistful indie pop with fresh doses of emotion, invention, and wit. As the Arthur Machen quote in the albums 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 dont 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 Cant Seem To) Make You Mine" and "Step into the Light," the Clientele have rarely sounded better. Despite a few sleepy moments on the albums second half, Strange Geometry has more flair and movement than Violet Hour, and perfects the bands ability to be uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 14 Title: Its Art Dad Released: 2005-10 Tracks: 16 Duration: 45:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Graven Wood (02:51) 2 Dear Jennifer (02:40) 3 February Moon (03:05) 4 Elm Grove Window (02:01) 5 The Night That Changed Our Minds (04:23) 6 When Shes Tired of Dancing (02:22) 7 [untitled] #2 (03:34) 8 The Evening in Your Eyes (03:27) 9 St. James Walk (01:40) 10 Shadow of Your Life (02:24) 11 August Sky (02:09) 12 The Words We Knew (03:34) 13 St. Pauls Beneath a Sinking Sky (01:36) 14 Cant Sleep (02:03) 15 Sweeten Your Eyes (04:56) 16 Graven Wood (rehearsal) (02:23) |
 | Album: 8 of 14 Title: God Save The Clientele Released: 2007-05-08 Tracks: 14 Duration: 44:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Here Comes the Phantom (03:13) 2 I Hope I Know You (03:19) 3 Isnt Life Strange? (03:47) 4 The Dance of the Hours (03:08) 5 From Brighton Beach to Santa Monica (03:52) 6 Winter on Victoria Street (02:47) 7 The Queen of Seville (04:27) 8 These Days Nothing But Sunshine (03:25) 9 Somebody Changed (02:41) 10 No Dreams Last Night (03:05) 11 Carnival on 7th Street (02:09) 12 Bookshop Casanova (03:53) 13 The Garden at Night (01:44) 14 Dreams of Leaving (03:26) |
| God Save The Clientele : Allmusic album Review : The Clienteles third full-length LP finds the band riding the wave of beauty and inspiration that made Strange Geometry one of the most impressive records of 2005. As is their style, the group has made no radical changes to their sound or approach; Alasdair MacLean still sings in a heartbreakingly honest and sweet voice, the band is as restrained and thoughtful as ever, the strings that dot the songs like floating tufts of cotton candy are again arranged by Louis Philippe, and the songs are predictably haunting and heartwarming. Even the changes the group made havent really changed anything. God Save the Clientele was recorded in Nashville with Lambchops Mark Nevers at the helm, and with help from Autumn Defense member Pat Sansone, one might expect a more Americanized sound, but with the exception of a pedal steel here and there, the band still magically conjures up autumn walks through rainy London back streets or, even better, languid late summer days spent drifting through the English countryside. Nevers does get a slightly cleaner sound, cutting the reverb down noticeably, but without any ill effects. The addition of Mel Draisey on keyboards, violin, and backing vocals hasnt changed much for the group either, as shes only on about half the tracks and her contributions are pleasingly subtle. Apart from the talk of changes or lack thereof, what you get with God Save the Clientele is a stunning batch of songs that will break your heart, pump it back full of life, and send you off to dreamland with a warm feeling filling your soul. From bouncy summery tunes like "Here Comes the Phantom," which opens the album with a burst of joy, to sleepy ballads (the George Harrison-esque "Isnt Life Strange") and trademark midtempo charmers like "From Brighton Beach to Santa Monica," the band has never been as consistently wonderful as on this album. They also carry over the strong sense of dynamics from Strange Geometry and make sure to balance moods and tempos throughout the album; for every languid ballad like "The Queen of Seville" or the achingly beautiful "No Dreams Last Night," theres an uptempo track like "The Garden at Night" (a wild rocker that sounds like the soundtrack to a scene in a 60s film where the straight-laced couple wanders into a hip nightclub by mistake and is accosted by swirling music and a trippy light show) or the more sedate but still rocking "Bookshop Casanova" to match. Every song on the album is near perfect and would sound just right on a mix CD designed to win a heart, cheer up a friend, or simply make you glad to be alive. God Save the Clientele is another stroke of magic from a band that has few peers in delivering music that can make or break your heart with a vocal inflection, swath of strings, or gentle arpeggio, music that can devastate you in one breath and lift you to the heavens with the next. The Clientele are that good and this album ranks with their finest moments. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 14 Title: That Night, a Forest Grew Released: 2008-07-21 Tracks: 4 Duration: 14:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Retiro Park (04:25) 2 Share the Night (03:44) 3 George Says He Has Lost His Way in This World (03:11) 4 That Night, a Forest Grew (03:18) |
 | Album: 10 of 14 Title: Bonfires on the Heath Released: 2009-10-06 Tracks: 12 Duration: 41:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 I Wonder Who We Are (04:25) 2 Bonfires on the Heath (05:11) 3 Harvest Time (03:50) 4 Never Anyone but You (05:30) 5 Jennifer & Julia (03:01) 6 Sketch (01:30) 7 Tonight (03:54) 8 Share the Night (03:19) 9 I Know I Will See Your Face (03:36) 10 Three Month Summers (02:44) 11 Graven Wood (03:02) 12 Walking in the Park (01:38) |
| Bonfires on the Heath : Allmusic album Review : The Clientele have always been autumnal and very English, and on their fourth album, Bonfires on the Heath, they may have created the most perfect autumnal English pop record imaginable. From beginning to end there is a crisp breeze that smells strongly of burning leaves and the fading memories of the revelry of the summer just passed, a feeling of melancholy and quiet but also a pastoral peacefulness that is very soothing. Its something the band has always been able to conjure up with just a few notes from Alasdair MacLeans guitar or just a few lines of his richly warm vocals, but here they seem to be at the very peak of their powers as a band. Perhaps its the full integration of newest member, Mel Draisey, and her lovely backing vocals and multi-instrumental skills, maybe its the incredibly precise and chamber-pop-perfect arrangements, or maybe its just that the group has written its most cohesive batch of songs yet. Of course previous albums have had their share of great songs ("I Cant Seem to Make You Mine" from Strange Geometry, and "Bookshop Casanova" from God Save the Clientele), but this time out the balance of uptempo tracks (something theyve continued to add to their repertoire with much success) like "I Wonder Who We Are" and "Share the Night," hazy midtempo strollers like "Never Anyone But You," and hushed ballads like the breathtaking title track, work like a magic spell, and the whole album rushes by dreamily like autumn itself. Unlike the season, which inevitable turns to the bitterness of winter, Bonfires on the Heath can be endlessly replayed. The warmth it conveys is immense, and along with the happiness it provides, the album also shows that the Clientele continue to be one of the best pop bands around in the 2000s. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 14 Title: Minotaur Released: 2010-08-31 Tracks: 8 Duration: 26:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Minotaur (03:14) 2 Jerry (03:57) 3 As the World Rises and Falls (04:59) 4 Paul Verlaine (03:00) 5 Strange Town (01:40) 6 No. 33 (01:50) 7 The Green Man (05:06) 8 Nothing Here Is What It Seems (02:57) |
 | Album: 12 of 14 Title: Alone and Unreal - The Best of the Clientele Released: 2015-09-04 Tracks: 11 Duration: 44:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Reflections After Jane (03:21) 2 We Could Walk Together (02:34) 3 Missing (04:52) 4 Since K Got Over Me (03:50) 5 (I Cant Seem to) Make You Mine (03:38) 6 Losing Haringey (04:01) 7 Bookshop Casanova (03:53) 8 The Queen of Seville (04:27) 9 Never Anyone but You (05:30) 10 Harvest Time (03:50) 11 On a Summer Trail (04:06) |
 | Album: 13 of 14 Title: A Sense Of Falling: Strange Geometry Outtakes Released: 2016-05-06 Tracks: 6 Duration: 22:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Breathe In Now (03:33) 2 Losing Haringey (Instrumental) (03:58) 3 One Hundred Leaves (04:08) 4 Since We Last Spoke (03:42) 5 Spanish Night (04:13) 6 When I Came Through (02:33) |
 | Album: 14 of 14 Title: Music for the Age of Miracles Released: 2017-09-22 Tracks: 12 Duration: 47:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Neighbour (05:09) 2 Lyra in April (01:31) 3 Lunar Days (04:13) 4 Falling Asleep (06:33) 5 Everything You See Tonight Is Different From Itself (06:39) 6 Lyra in October (00:41) 7 Everyone You Meet (04:18) 8 The Circus (03:57) 9 Constellations Echo Lanes (03:43) 10 The Museum of Fog (04:11) 11 North Circular Days (01:48) 12 The Age of Miracles (04:51) |