(4-track demo)
And a Happy New Year to you, too�
The Cling are a bunch of photogenic enough lads from London who might just be one of the truly exciting bands to look out for in 2004 and beyond. This 4-track EP was recorded in deepest, darkest Chelsea, and each track is devilishly tuneful to the hilt and back.
Opening with the title track, their inspired idea of �Happy Hell� is eclectic bliss, welding Divine Comedy-esque eccentricity to something of a unique Alt.-Glam-coolness. �Keep me as your slave,� so goes the lyric � �I won�t behave; I won�t be liberated.�
Festooned with a quirky and edibly arty streak akin to Dogs Die In Hot Cars, Cling on for their sublime �Bury You� (�Nobody cares like I do�) anthem that features a disjointed guitar riff straight out of Carlos Alomar�s school of inventive theatrics, the groovy indie-pop nature of the chorus shining brightly towards lost indie-pop bands such as the jolly Supernaturals� yes, that band that enjoyed a pretty decent spell of chart success in the late 90�s, but who seem to have tragically faded into complete obscurity.
The Cling are well-known for putting on one hell of a show when it comes to them playing live in and around the capital, and you can only hope that these guys get their act together in the context of organising a full-blown, length-&-breadth tour of the UK to show off their tunes ASAP.
They genuinely are highly creative and sound to be influenced by so many bands to the degree that it�s difficult to detect which ones exactly, their �Citizen� song reminds of Sack Trick�s uber-cool Alt.-pop-rock shenanigans, while their EP-closing �Boat Song� owes something to a brand new Funk-Ska movement that�s destined to hit a town near you soon.
As songwriters, The Cling live up to the likes of Supergrass. And, as far as their song choruses so sublimely go, even The Darkness might have to step aside.
All in all and all for The Cling, this is what I honestly call Great British Music.
(Steve Rudd)
www.thecling.com
CONTACT the band via [email protected]