Client - Client

Oh the joy of hearing squelchy synths after a dozen irrelevant guitar bands. Such a wonderful invention and all too often used to replicate 'real' instruments rather than celebrate in it's own synthetic electronic glory. The days of the 80s where synths were an instrument in itself rather than being used by the latest pop back to imitate string sections as Regional Radio Roadshows. Numan, Kraftwerk and more recently the underground electronica artists who more often than not are released by Mute (also the home Client).

Sarah Blackwood of course has done this all before in her former band Dubstar. Imagine a seedier Dubstar and your halfway there, but gone are the guitars and high production values in it's place is the bare bones of a great synth pop band. The squelches of "Rock And Roll Machine" mixed with the 3 note top line melody is just one of those songs you can imagine Girls Aloud covering and taking to number 1. Despite the underground protestations and the fact that Client see themselves as a faceless nameless image as a direct riposte to manufactured pop there's a certain commercial potential on tracks such as "Price Of Love" and "Love All Night" which you can imagine Kylie releasing or "Here And Now" which you can imagine S Club 8 releasing as a bootleg mash-up with "Fool No More".

They may be trying to avoid all the trappings of the pop industry, but there's going to become a time when the pay cheque is too large for them to turn down a songwriting deal for the latest pre-packaged pop act. Pop is in their blood and why deny it because "Client" is one of those album's that knaws away at you incessantly and with the right band to front it these tunes could be reaches millions rather than thousands.

Alex McCann

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