Clearlake – Amber – Review

clearlake200Clearlake

Amber (Domino)
by Tim Den

Clearlake‘s previous releases, Cedars and Wonder if the Snow Will Settle, are pretty fucking important to me. The universality of the deceivingly simple lyrics, the tragic-sounding chord progressions, and the beauty of the arrangements boggle my mind as to how a band can cram so much of life’s trials and tribulations into four-minute pop songs. While the music renders cataclysmic emotions – graceful cataclysms, unlike emo’s melodrama – into dark, savory melodies, guitarist/vocalist Jason Pegg’s seemingly stream-of-consciousness, every-man prose sums up everything a somber soul could ever want to say about being alive. It’s no wonder that he has received comparisons to Morrissey: Both can use common language as if it were the most poetic, confessional, and scandalous tool of songwriting.

It took every ounce of restraint to not listen to the demos of Amber that the band began posting on their website last year. I didn’t want to spoil the experience: I wanted the album in front of me, with every song and full artwork at my disposal, ready to be devoured by my fandom. So I waited. How is Amber, then, now that I’ve allowed it to sit with me for two months? Is it everything I had hoped it would be? Not exactly, but I can’t say I’m disappointed, either. Clearlake have decided to modify their songwriting just a bit on their third full-length, and just because it’s not as morose as I’d like them to remain doesn’t mean that they’ve failed at creating yet another fantastic piece of art.

Amber is a self-described “rock record,” one that forgoes much of Cedars‘ introspection for more of an uplifting, going-out-at-night good times vibe. Indeed, tracks like “It’s Getting Light Outside,” “Good Clean Fun,” “Finally Free,” and the bluesy stomp of “Neon” reek of staying up all night and hangovers, all without sacrificing Pegg’s sense of melody. “I Hate it That I Got What I Wanted” especially blends the two elements perfectly. While fully busting ass on a locomotive riff (inspired by Queens Of The Stone Age, confessed Pegg), the chord progression and the vocal melody remain as affective as ever. So the hook’s got more balls this time around, so what? They’re still great hooks! Not to mention, it’s always a blast to crank the distortion and bash your guitar about a bit, no?

But, of course, my favorite is the most melancholic, closer “Widescreen,” with its guitar refrain performed by the players holding the chords with one hand and banging on the guitar body with the other, begins ominously as notes ride a descending chromatic scale. The mood never lifts, even as the song takes a turn for the heavy: A black cloud suffocating the liveliness underneath trying to get out. It’s breathtaking. I musn’t forget opener “No Kind of Life,” either: With a mid-tempo beat that’ll make you close your eyes and sway back and forth, it contains the most heartache-y hook of ’em all. “You rely on someone else/to make you feel alright/as far as I’m concerned/it’s no kind of life.” The way Pegg stretches out “relyyyy” and the way the third line climbs to meet the declarative fourth line… it’s irresistible. It makes me want to sing out loud, not to mention chew the lyrics – the only four lines of the song, repeated over and over – to taste the potential of multiple meanings.

However, “No Kind of Life” is the only lyrical moment on Amber that lives up to Pegg’s past works. I couldn’t believe it either, but after numerous spins, I still found the album’s words to be less revelatory than what I’m used to from Clearlake. Whereas Pegg could turn take past lines like “keep smiling, keep smiling, it’ll make things that much easier” and “I wonder whether losing you was such a good idea” and make them seem universally relatable, Amber is full of very specific, one dimensional descriptions that don’t go deeper than the surface. “Good clean fun never hurt no one/and I’d like to know when I can get mine.” Okay, he wants to have fun… sure, I want to have fun too, but somehow knowing we both like good times doesn’t strike me in the heart. “It’s good to see you/it’s been a while… I’d love to know/so tell me everything/I want to know exactly how you’ve been”? Catching up with an old friend ’til “it’s getting light outside” is certainly a nice thought, but that’s about it. It’s not an earth-shattering truth. Maybe the upbeat music called for less reflective sentiments, I don’t know… Or maybe I’m just expecting too much.

If Clearlake had made another Cedars, fans like myself would’ve been happy, but the band might’ve encountered negative remarks about “not moving forward.” With Amber, they’ve chosen a different but no less impassioned direction with their craft, and both fans and critics alike should be enthralled. While it isn’t as essential as the earlier material, Amber is still incredible songwriting from a band that knows how to tug at your heart… and now ROCK, too!
(www.dominorecordco.us)