Review Summary: A Bite-Sized Dose of Reserved Joyfulness.
Taking their name from the iconic Raptor scene in Jurassic Park, the short-lived outfit
Clever Girl only saw enough daylight to create this lone EP before disbanding. True to the nature of the aforementioned beast, the musicians cunningly construct an intricate and layered soundscape that features exceptional technical skill and emotive playing on behalf of the whole crew. Everything present here is crisp, clean, and precise; an absolute must to ensure that the experience never becomes jumbled despite the pace.
Those familiar with the likes of This Town Needs Guns or American Football will find themselves largely at home with the math rock style that dominates the release's four tracks, although the tone and mood established on
No Drum And Bass in the Jazz Room is overwhelmingly distinct. While the former bands both feature vocalists and less reliance on wind instrumentation, Clever Girl is entirely instrumental save for a momentary group vocal shout in the introductory song. Instead, the saxophone fills the shoes, and this trade-off allows the band to skirt two of the potential pitfalls of the genre for many listeners: the melodramatic, contrived lyricism and accompanying polarizing vocal performances. Likely in significant part due to this decision, the quick 22 minutes is kept predominantly upbeat, with a joyful, yet measured atmosphere highly conducive to listening at lower volumes while going about your otherwise mundane daily activities; a quiet cheerfulness to keep you positive and productive.
