The Clientele: Bonfires on the Heath
Label: Merge
Bittersweet pop songs? Check. Muted horns? Yes indeed. Vocals that sound like Chris Bell communing through the ether? Definitely. The mood on the Clientele’s fifth album fits in with the fading days of summer: there’s a sense of musical restraint even as Alasdair MacLean’s vocals shift from desperate yearning to crooning ecstasy. The music shifts from keening guitars (the title track) to minimalist dance numbers (“Share the Night,” with its 80s-vintage trumpet) to understated ballads (“Jennifer & Julia”). Bonfires on the Heath is a classic-sounding pop record, neatly structured and wistful in its outlook. Unsuspecting hooks don’t hurt, either. (Toby)
