Klammer is a Leeds based
quartet who some might argue should have been around in the post-punk era of
the 1980s but that does not do them justice. They provide some of that retro feel but they are more modern than that,
perhaps more “contemporary” even as they have described themselves. They were formed by Steve Whitfield, famed
for his work more recently as Scenius and Whitfield himself plays bass in the
band. The remainder of the quartet is made
up of Paul “Poss” Strickland on vocals / guitar, Mike Addy on bass guitar and Bruno
Almeida on drums.
“Broken
Dreams In A Crashing Car” is their latest release and is taken from their
forthcoming album “The Day Before Yesterday” which will be out in February
2022.
The track
itself is very much a staple of the Klammer back catalogue in that it is a raw
release and not what I would describe as over-produced. This is important for a band like Klammer, as
hearing their songs as though they are being played live is very much part of who
they are and what they produce – all too often bands miss a trick by being
different on audio releases than they would be in a live venue.
The melody
on “Broken Dreams In A Crashing Car” is really interesting – it has simple
guitar elements but this is intertwined with really sharp drumming work from Almeida
and some brilliant bass lines from Whitfield.
There is a marked change in tempo between the verses and chorus which really
turns this track into something more contemporary than just a 1980's style
post-punk release.
Vocally I
really enjoyed Strickland’s performance but then I have always liked his style
from the first time I heard Klammer back in 2019. He has the perfect tone for this type of
music and has that real electronic feel that bands from that era had vocally –
people like Human League and Heaven 17.
I had the
pleasure of seeing Klammer in a support slot in Manchester prior to the
pandemic and I really hope they tour again in the new year with the release of
their fourth studio album. They really
haven’t had the acclaim that they deserve to this point but that doesn’t mean
they won’t in the future. There is a new
desire from the public to appreciate live performance since the lockdowns and
this could really benefit bands like Klammer who have struggled to get bigger
audiences outside their hometown. I
suspect another support slot might be just what they need, followed up by a
tour in later 2022 or 2023 where they are the main attraction.
I am very much looking
forward to their album in a couple of months and hope to get the chance to
review it – Klammer have a spot in the market and if this album hits as hard as
I expect then they will really see their popularity increase.
Reviewer - John Fish
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