4/10

12.11.12 | Domino

Back with their seventh album, youÔÇÖd think that Liverpool based band Clinic would have brought something new to the table. Sadly, Free Reign, available from November 12th (CD, LP and digital download) provides not much more than a party soundtrack- i.e. one to be drowned out by shouting, cheering and drinking. Despite the slightly catchy intro of ÔÇ£Cosmic RadiationÔÇØ and the almost finger tapping beat of ÔÇ£YouÔÇØ, this is not an album to be distracted by. With the majority of the songs lasting for four minutes or over, much of the album fails to grab your attention within the first listen; even the poppy riffs like those in ÔÇ£SeesawÔÇØ and ÔÇ£Miss YouÔÇØ seem to leave little lasting impression. Given the synthy nature of the album, to an ear not tuned in to the latest techno music it becomes increasingly hard to differentiate between songs as the album progresses and although the overall sound of the album is competent, it is also arguably ÔÇ£sameyÔÇØ. If youÔÇÖre a fan of ClinicÔÇÖs previous work however do not be disheartened- Free Reign is just as generic and will probably retain as much of a cult, indie-kid following as many of their earlier releases.

If You Like This Listen To: The xx – The xx

Charlie Mock