CLAYFACE Employee of the Month

CLAYFACE

Employee of the Month

Horn and Hoof Records (10/03/23)


Mining the 90s US-midwest scene for inspiration, Employee of the Month is three minutes of heart-on-your sleeve proclamations about feeling fine… when maybe you’re really not feeling fine.


These northern punk upstarts combine muscular guitar and driving rhythms with a yearning quality to the song-writing, before topping it off with twinkly melodies that get hooked in your brain after a single listen. Kicking things off with a classic bare-bones guitar and vocal pattern, the band soon kick in and it’s all systems go as the frisky tempo counteracts the melancholic feel of the lyrics. The interplay between rhythm section and guitars is excellent, frequently skipping beats and dropping in and out to let each other take centre stage for a moment - there’s great chemistry on show here. The vocals are a mix of Blake Schwarzenbach, Chuck Ragan and even some Billy Bragg: you know the style - that gruff delivery, but smothered in warmth and passion. 


The song builds up to a crescendo before taking it down a notch for a brief instrumental passage, then smashing back through the chorus until the end. It’s energetic, melodic, and a brilliant second single ahead of upcoming album Ailments which is due to drop in May. 


If you love heartfelt punk rock that somehow makes you feel less alone… Clayface are just the ticket. 


Judge for yourself: https://clayfacepunkrock.bandcamp.com

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