The Clientele

Hampshire based band 'The Clientele' were on the last leg of a nine-day tour supporting 'The Broken Family Band' on the back of their recently released album 'God save the Clientele'. Indeed the performance felt very much like a support act on the night and maybe they need to look for some divine intervention to gain future inspiration.

The band is categorised as being indie / psychedelic / pop on it’s myspace website and indeed this lack of definition may offer some explanation into their lack of impact. At times the band showed flashes of ability, especially when the lead singer showcased his more than adequate guitar playing skills. Often I had the feeling that the vocalists’ talents would be more suited to upbeat rock tracks where there is less pressure on his vocals. As it was he strained to provide depth to the non-offensive, background music provided by the band throughout. The slightly monotone nature of the music drew me with fascination to the slightly bizarre left shoulder gyrations of the lead singer, which threatened to hypnotize me at one point in the show. Luckily I maintained my consciousness long enough to witness the remainder of the show and write this review.

There is nothing to actively dislike about this band, which has been around for a decade, before now enjoying some limited success on tour here and in the USA. The lead singer’s voice even reminded me of a poor man’s Ocean Colour Scene - though not quite. On second listen the band’s music seems mellow and chilled in the comfort of your own home. Ultimately, however they struggle to convince that they should be considered anything more than a 'supporting' band.