Clock Opera won my album of 2017 award with the absolutely astounding Venn but they actually rounded off the year with a four-track EP showcasing a new track, a demo and two unplugged versions of album tracks. It’s a lovely addition to the album itself and showcases the diversity of the band.
The title track is the brand new track with its an epic spacious synth runs and metallic spacey keyboards and percussion. It’s lighter and airier than most of Venn but it still has that trademark Clock Opera feel of beautiful synth rock wringing your emotion out. On the complete flipside the Under the Floorboards versions of both “Whippoorwill” and “In Memory” are both significantly different. They aren’t strictly acoustic versions, but they are very muted and stripped back with a real live one take focus. The vocals are not perfect, but they have a stressed quality to them that makes them equally as devasting but in a more broken way. The EP ends with “The Beast In Us” which is titled as a demo. The track has a more 80’s feel to it, but it’s a strong track and I’ve no idea why it wasn’t on the album anyway as it’s got a soaring chorus.
For Clock Opera fans, you’ll lap this up as a continuation of Venn but new fans I’d advise to start off with the album first. It’s not because this isn’t fantastic, as it is, but this is more about expanding the band’s edge of their sound palette and I’d rather you fell in love with their amazing synth rock talents first before you experience their more acoustic side.
Recommended Track: In Memory (Under the Floorboards Version)