If you’re a Clutch fan, you already know that the band have a new album coming out in September. Given that they’ve been playing songs from Psychic Warfare live since last year, and even gave a preview of one from an ironing board in a hotel room, that’s no surprise. But last night (18) on the eve of their show in New York City’s Central Park today, the band gave a seven-song preview of the forthcoming album at the intimate D’angelico Guitars showroom in Manhattan. Taking place in front of about 75 members of press, radio promotion, label brass and assorted others (tourmate Brent Hinds of Mastodon showed up midway through), the band gave an up-close look at what the new album sounds like, playing through seven songs from it.
Like 2013’s Earth Rocker, the new album was recorded and produced by Machine. Upon hearing the songs the band played last night, the influence shows. It’s not a gigantic departure in terms of tone from their last album, but given that that was one of their best albums in years, that’s a good thing. Keeping the propulsive nature of Earth Rocker, the seven songs they showcased yesterday had a bit looser of a vibe, delivered with the confidence of a band that’s been road-testing the songs for months. If the combination of Fallon’s vocals , the tasteful guitars of Tim Sult, and the rhythm section of Dan Maines and Jean-Paul Gaster sound like they’ve been playing their bluesy, uptempo rock for 25 years, it’s because they nearly have.
Highlights included the first song, “X Ray Vision,” in which frontman Neil Fallon introduced the band by their zodiac signs, “Firebirds,” he explained, was the latest in a line of songs about driving cars through space, following “Spacegrass” and “Crucial Velocity.” The third song, “A Quick Death In Texas,” was inspired by Fallon renting a place from Airbnb while recording the album. Other songs played included “Our Lady of Electric Light,” and “Decapitation Blues.” The band finishes their tour with Mastodon this week.
Psychic Warfare, which is still untitled, will release in September on the band’s own Weathermaker Music.
[Neil Photo: Jon Landman]
