Album Review: Swallow The Rat / Clone – Split (Headbump)

In February 2020 the Auckland based Swallow The Rat and the Brooklyn based Clone were both on the east coast of the USA. The bands were touring and going to share the stage at the SXSW festival but the pandemic meant all their plans were abruptly halted. Despite this setback the bands established a strong bond and kept in touch with each other. The outcome is that instead of sharing a stage together they are sharing the LP Split by contributing four tracks each.

Swallow The Rat are the Auckland based quartet of Sam Vercoe (vocals and guitar), Brian Purington (guitar), Hayden Fritchley (drums) and Stephen Horsley (bass and keys ). Clone are the Brooklyn based quintet of LG Galleon (vocals and guitar), Gregg Giuffré (drums), Max Idas (bass), Dominic Turi (guitar) and Lyla Vander (keys). Both line ups contain veterans of previous shoegaze influenced bands.

Formed in late 2017 Swallow The Rat are one album, Leaving Room, into their recording career, whereas the newly formed Clone just sneaked out their first single New Romance prior to the pandemic shutdown. These releases showed that both bands have a huge collection of guitar pedals, contain energetic, physical drummers and use indecipherable vocals as an instrument. These features are very much in place on this release too.

The first four tracks are by Swallow The Rat. The opener, Fall Away, sets the tone for the album. Over a martial drum beat waves of high pitched, drill like, guitars fade in and out with vocals hidden lower down in the mix. This is followed by Preservation Plan which pushes the template further. Over the top of the bass and drums there are bursts of a high pitched wailing that is almost bag pipe like. Beneath the guitars are whispered vocals and a steady drum beat.

Don’t starts with pounding drums which drive the song along. Gruff vocals and scratchy guitars take turns to be dominant. The track builds to a frenzy of attack by all instruments. The final track Station surrounds the spoken word vocals with strummed echoey guitars and restrained drumming. In the second half of the song the intensity builds to a fitting finale to their four tracks.

Swallow The Rat show they have developed since their earlier releases. Their music is energetic, gritty and psychedelic with variety in texture and speed. They have widened their palette of sound and their use of pedals takes songs off in intriguing directions that keep you interested for the four and a half minutes of each track.

Deja Vu is the first track by Clone. It is propelled by a pumping bass and pulsating drums. The vocals are desperate and edgy and the song has a soft/loud momentum that recalls The Pixies. Speak Memory continues the fast pace with bursts of twangy surf rock guitar over bass and metronomic drums. Vocals are whispered and the surf guitar riffs are the main point of interest, you find yourself waiting for the next one to come in.

Woman of the Year has a drum pattern reminiscent of Love Will Tear Us Apart. The bass, distorted choppy guitars and vocals fade in and out over the insistent drumming. The final track Easy On The Eyes has the surf guitar again and ever faster riffs swooping over the top of the drums. The momentum keeps going for six minutes until the song crashes to a halt.

The four tracks by Clone are noisy songs with melodic hooks. Drums and bass typically underpin the songs with the sound rounded out by dense riffs, the surf guitar and distorted vocals.

This album gives you two bands playing soaring post punk that is designed to be heard loud. It will be good to hear more from Clone as they build on their influences and establish their sound. Swallow The Rat have a New Zealand tour in place which provides the opportunity to hear them live in sweaty venues where the tension and atmosphere of their songs will be best appreciated.

John Bradbury