I is for….”I Want You More Than Ever” by The Clientele. As The Clientele continue their slow creep towards some small-scale kind of fame (with a sound as instant and recognisable as theirs, it’s pretty much assured), you just know they’re going to end up being one of those bands where every review winds up the same, and vague to boot. The feathery voice, the sepia sound, the unfussy guitar detail – writers like me will find shorthand ways to talk about these things and stick to them.
That’s not to say all The Clientele’s songs sound the same, because obviously they don’t. I’m always terribly suspicious of people bandying that particular insult around, as it’s so rarely true. All it means is that a band’s mannerisms are too off-putting to some listeners, so they never sink a bit deeper and spot the differences. “I Love You More Than Ever”, for example, is sunnier and less contemplative than (say) the beautiful “6 AM Morningside”, and a good deal less pert than “Reflections After Jane”. Meanwhile I’ve been wandering around listening to the tape Tim made me of these songs for two months, but I’ve yet to hit on a perfect place or mood for the band – they always seem a little out of kilter with wherever I am and whatever I’m doing. Which is part of the charm, but may be why even my favourite tracks haven’t fully locked with me emotionally yet: I can wallow in the atmosphere, relax and marvel at the sound, but The Clientele’s songs don’t yet have a life for me beyond the tape-end click.