The Clientele
God Save The Clientele

[Merge; 2007]

Styles: chamber pop, indie pop
Others: Galaxie 500, Belle & Sebastian, Arab Strap

It’s fair to classify each record by English dream-pop group The Clientele as “growers.” Consistent perhaps to a fault, each of their records to date have been wistful, reverb-drenched, sighing affairs. As such, even the group’s best records — my favorite is 2005’s Strange Geometry — will be take-it-or-leave-it for most listeners; the constant wash of reverb, weepy strings, and singer Alasdair MacLean’s lilting intonations can be a bit frustrating at times.

That said, the instrumentation isn’t the only consistent thing about The Clientele — the band also write reliably great songs. God Save the Clientele is more of the same for the group’s fans, who will find the record near-faultless. There are more upbeat numbers here than the last time out: “Here Comes the Phantom” and especially “Bookshop Casanova” are modestly rollicking numbers, while “The Queen of Seville” is as good an example as any of the band’s bread-and-butter balladry.

It will be interesting to see if or when The Clientele decide to veer further into polished pop-rock territory or bank off into more psychedelic realms. For the moment, however, most listeners will be satisfied with another lovely record to soak up.

1. Here Comes the Phantom 2. I Hope I Know You 3. Isn’t Life Strange? 4. The Dance of the Hours 5. From Brighton Beach to Santa Monica 6. Winter on Victoria Street 7. The Queen of Seville 8. These Days Nothing But Sunshine 9. Somebody Changed 10. No Dreams Last Night 11. Carnival on 7th Street 12. Bookshop Casanova 13. The Garden at Night 14. Dreams of Leaving