Care renews CLAMM's sense of urgency

Still striving to make sense of the world through youthful eyes, Care introduces a renewed urgency to navigate and contend with the world’s woes.

As was the case with its predecessor, the LP’s power is its most pronounced facet; electrifying, loud and raucous guitars immediately dominate the middle ground on many of the album’s 15 tracks. It’s not a record that hangs around the starting blocks, preferring instead to adopt a violent and insistent sound that remains relentless throughout its runtime.

The band’s debut record drew immediate attention with its incendiary back-to-basics punk sound. Now, 14 months on and with newest member Maisie Everett on bass, the Melbourne-based group have been able to send themselves into a deeper, more scratchy domain.

Tunes like the anxiety-inspective “Bit Much”, the scratchy anti-materialistic “Something New”, and the raucous anti-establishment mantras of “Incompetence” showcase the group’s dive into a darker sound than the one they moulded on Beseech Me. The band seem more urgent here, more driven to develop their craft as well as to see the change they want in the world.

Everett’s backing vocal can be heard throughout the album, adding the extra layer that Care’s predecessor lacked. Her echoey and distant voice on “Bit Much”, for example, adds an insistent quality to the song’s core sound.

As well as a new bassist, there are appearances from Naomi Anzai (synths) and Anna Gordon (saxophone) who both contribute a modernising layer of experimentation to some tracks. “NRG” exhibits both fearsome synths and original saxophones that combine to create something genuinely emancipating. Every corner of the record sees Clamm in stunning form.

The delivery of Jack Summers’ attitude-drenched vocals harks back to the days of classic punk. Chanted mantras evoke the slogan-based structure of the Ramones (“Scheme”; “Monday”; “Care”), while the thrashing energy of many tracks is reminiscent of the Buzzcocks and the Sex Pistols.

The record also echos the sonic makeup of the trio’s contemporaries; elements of Amyl And The Sniffers and Idles - who themselves revitalise the raw nature of embryonic punk rock - can be heard on tracks like “Buy”, “Global”, and “Sympathy”. The use of sounds present in the wider scene today, as well as its topical subject matter, add a clear cultural relevance to the album.

As well as succeeding in being both a culturally appropriate expression of catharsis, Care also pushes the band further in their musical development. In an uncertain world that’s riddled with chaos, Clamm are a band who find certainty in their music.