Clementine delivers honesty and joy on sophomore LP Again
Naarm/Melbourne indie folk singer/songwriter Clementine is back with another delightfully bright selection of sweet summery tunes - Again!
Clementine is the project of musician and artist Lukas Williams. Hailing from Melbourne’s northern suburbs, Williams has honed his songcraft over many years, evolving into a mature, honest songwriter and storyteller. Weaving tales of love, loss, companionship and everyday joy, Clementine has become a source of deep fulfilment for Williams.
After last year’s EP Garden Shed (check out our thoughts here) and this year’s debut LP Shoebox Music, Williams has finally reached a point of personal and creative liberation- unburdened, pure and free.
But of course, Clementine refuses to take a break - instead following up with another full-length record. Packed with intimate homespun charm, Again is a DIY joy.
@clementinewrites Again
Opening with a true potboiler, Clementine comes out swinging with A Heart Like You - a belter of a piano banger. A truly rocking number, the tune bounces along at pace that refuses to leave listeners without a smile.
Ropes continues the trend of upbeat energy, with a self-reflective lyric dissecting the art of songcraft, while slower cut Summer Days is a beachy good time about making it through the everyday.
A piece of folk-pop perfection, Little Songs continues the meta themes over some absolutely gorgeous production. Delicate guitars, sweet harmonies, soft drums - it simply sounds like the first warm breeze of spring.
Ruby Jean takes on a classic McCartney-esque style - a tale of a fictional femme fatale reminiscent of peak Macca storytelling. A character you can’t help but perceive in your mind’s eye, Ruby Jean travels through time and space.
Little Brown Eyes is another tune with a soft touch - a confessional love song with a delightful acoustic guitar rundown. A tale of yearning, Clementine begs us to picture a future of true love and companionship.
Act My Age brings back the energy while Sleep carries an intimate country vibe, with a theme of everyday pain and joy. The repetition and dichotomy, the ongoing battle of living in the here and now.
Coming out of nowhere, The Ballad of John and Yoko hits your speakers - a truly rocking rendition of The Beatles classic B-side. A song recorded with a very similar heat-of-the-moment philosophy, Clementine absolutely nails this tune. An extremely rare compliment, as good Beatles covers are few and far between - this one is up there with The Breeders and Stevie Wonder.
Closing out the record with a jaunty ditty, Clementine’s Room 11 Rag (In G) acts as a marvellous curtain call for what has bean an absolute ray of sunshine of an album.
A fantastic sophomore record, again! is my favourite Clementine release yet. One can only wonder what is on the horizon for this brilliant young artist.
Listen to the album here.