Review: Clams - EP

Label: self-released

Released: 2007

Many bands take the Great Leap Forwards approach to modernization, taking an older sound and dragging it kicking and screaming through recent history into the present. Clams doesn't take that road though. Their self-titled EP channels 70s hard rock without forcing anything unnatural to happen. Whether the rhythms are driving or more laid back, the riffs are monsters with plenty of swagger and the vocals are emotional without overwhelming the music. They have plenty of crunch, but don't avoid hooks for the sake of heaviness. Even their nod to the 90s on the Alice in Chains-ish "Dead to the World" doesn't feel like they're alt rock-ifying their sound so much as just taking a natural path. "Fractures" is their most ambitious track, showing that they are equally adept at straightforward rock and prog meanderings. While this EP isn't breaking much new ground, it takes a pattern that is oft misused and sets it straight.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 4/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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