Clinic are here with their brand new album; Bubblegum. Clinic have a punk sound mixed with the light ‘plinky’ sounds of percussion and a bit of rock guitar.

The opener, ‘I’m Aware’, is a serious, slow yet mesmerizing tune, with gritty vocals and a good melodic chorus. The strings and harmonies in the background give this song depth and feeling.

‘Lion Tamer’ has a more futuristic sound and it’s a bit more upbeat than the previous tunes on this album. Up to now the album has been, I feel, a little too serious sounding and to be quite frank a little depressing.

‘Another Way Of Giving’, even though slow, seems a little brighter in its tune but yet again, the vocals are gloomy.

Picking up the pace is ‘Evelyn’, this song brings the CD to life, it’s just a shame we’ve had to wait till nearly the end of the album to hear a lively tune and unfortunately, the CD returns to its woeful and dull tracks.

This is not an album I would listen to in its entirety again or in fact one I would play in a hurry, unless I was feeling sorry for myself and needed some depressing songs to wallow in.

2

Helena Rea