The Clientele are one of those unique British bands that have succeeded more on American soil than they have in their own home. Part of that success is likely due to sharing a label with Spoon, but another part of it is their indie rock-like sounds that feels more familiar in the Americana-drenched U.S. than it might in the land of Oasis.
I was attracted to Strange Geometry because of tis great cover-art, which is very neutral and somehow obvious. The record is a classic in its genre though, which sounds that have since been imitated countless times by more acts than I can think of off the top of my head.
What’s unique about the record is that its spaced-out instrumentation feels at least five years ahead of its time, as if the band had a magic ball and saw some of the dreampop style well in advance. And while the second half of Strange Geometry isn’t perfect — the album slows considerably — it’s an interesting listen purely because The Clientele appeared to know something everybody else did not.
This is not the sort of record you put on when it’s time to rock out to something righteous, but it is the right sort of music for striking a melancholic Monday or Tuesday morning. And for fans of indie, or for bands like Beach House, this ahead-of-its-time precursor is highly recommended.