The Clientele — Bonfires On The Heath

Bonfires On The Heath

Merge

Chris Burland (CHARTattack)

10/29/2009 2:35pm

Like the opening moments of The Beta Band's "Dry The Rain" in High Fidelity, a record store owner out there is salivating at the opportunity to sell five copies of the new album by The Clientele.

Opener "I Wonder Who We Are" mixes Pink Floyd with a more sophisticated, soulful groove that will get the heads of even the most cynical record store rats bopping.

"Harvest Time" seems to update that Syd Barrett sound for the 21st century, while the poppy "Never Anyone But You" reminds us how imaginative the Odessa-era Bee Gees really were.

Much like The Beta Band's output, the kitchy retro sound begins to wear thin over time. "Tonight," in particular, is a sappier take on the Brothers Gibb. And while "Share The Night" adds a bit of needed energy to the proceedings, it's too little to late.

Save yourself the trouble and download the first four tracks and imagine the rest of the album matched their brilliance.

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