Music should always have a message. In these fragmented and entrenched times, you could almost see it as an act of negligence if a song doesn’t have something to say to its listener. Sure, tick all the sonic boxes that fulfil the sound and style, the genre and nature of the music you want to make, but when writing the words, make the audience think too.
“Dividing Line” sees this Brooklyn-o-centric supergroup offer a treatise on how Donald Trump tried to start a class war with and within the American population as a device to divide and conquer during his underhanded brawl that was his fight for a second term of the presidency. Okay, that might seem like old news now, especially with the speed at which the political world moves, but considering the same tricks could be employed this time around, it is something worth keeping in people’s minds.
Clone may be a relatively new band, but they follow in some wonderful post-punk sonic traditions, and are reminiscent of the likes of Gang of Four and Killing Joke. in that the music they make ebbs and flows between harsh abrasiveness and melodic rhythms, barked lyrical salvos, and drifting sonics.
Clone is led by LG Galleon, best known as the frontman of Dead Leaf Echo, and here he is joined by NYC musicians Gregg Giufree of Pilot to Gunner, Max Idas and Dominick Turi. Live, the group expands even further to include The Namesake’s Paul Liziragga and Alex Cox of The Veldt. And a more accomplished and imaginative bunch of musicians it would be hard to name.
With their debut album CL.1 due out soon, the time to embrace Clone is now, right before they become massive. And mark my words, they will.
Bandcamp
Spotify
Immutable
CL. 1 album order
