Klammer have been around for a little while now having formed in 2012, their first release was in 2013 with “Everything Depends Upon The King” and have since released 3 albums. The band is made up of Paul “Poss” Strickland on vocals / guitar, Steve Whitfield on guitar / vocals, Mike Addy on bass guitar and Rob Longley on drums. The band is based out of Leeds and they describe themselves as “a contemporary twist on the post-punk attitude” which is quite a provocative statement.
Listening to Klammer for the first time as part of this review, my mind immediately goes back to those post-punk days of the early 1980s – “Being Boiled” is a cover version of the Human League track from that era but Klammer have succeeded in making it sound like an original release. It feels more modern and contemporary but you still know this was a track written back in that time.
In order to research Klammer I trawled through their back catalogue of songs, going back to their debut album all the way through to their most recent release “You Have Been Processed”. There is more than a passing resemblance to 'Gang Of Four' and it is no surprise to read that they are included in the band’s main influences.
The biggest thing that comes through from listening through their history is how much they have evolved during that time. Their first releases were interesting but felt a little raw and under-produced, something they have more than addressed through the years. Their last album included some very memorable material including “Modern God”, “Mechanical Boy” and “Tonight” – these tracks certainly deserved much more exposure than they have so far received.
So back to be “Being Boiled” which I suspect might be Klammer’s best effort to date. It is an interesting challenge to take on what is a synthesiser classic and turn it into a guitar-based anthem but Klammer have succeeded and managed to produce something that is at least as good as the original – and yet completely different.
Vocally there is some resemblance between the Human League’s Phil Oakey and Paul “Poss” Strickland's delivery of the vocal but that’s where the similarity ends. The guitar of Steve Whitfield is loud and in your face, in contrast to the original drum machine and synthesiser sound. Cover versions are quite often best left to a live set in my opinion but Klammer have delivered something here that stands up in his own right and most definitely something that deserves to be released. Klammer have so far not received the recognition that their music deserves, in particular their last album earlier this year, but I see a big future for them on the alternative UK music scene.
Klammer's 'Being Boiled' can be heard ahead of its official release date here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-wF4XaA6es&feature=youtu.be
Reviewer - John Fish
on - 19/5/19
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