CD: “More Naked Than Obscene” by Twelve Feet Of Clay

“More Naked Than Obscene” is the forthcoming second album from the Cambridge based, Twelve Clay Feet which is due to be released on the 11th November.

I have to admit, the first half of this album had me thinking that the band were another indie rock band that had nothing punchy or stand out, to offer. However, my opinion soon changed after hearing the second half of the album.

The first half of the album features tracks, which are good and easy to listen to, but offers nothing that makes them stand out from any other indie rock band. Their music reminds me of some of Radiohead and Kings of Leon’s tracks combined with the husky vocals of Nickelback. The meaty material and secure technique of the drummer and bass player are the perfect foundation for all the tracks, but I feel that there is, currently, more to be desired from the guitarist. The band could also benefit from adding more harmony lines or just making the ones they already have a little more interesting.

The second half includes songs such as Wrecking Ball and Rags and Bones, which I think, are the bands most hard-hitting. These songs are perfect for live environments where the audience would be able to sing along and feed off the energy of the band.

There are a few songs on the album where I feel like I’m constantly waiting for a drop in the music, not that there necessarily needs to be one. Maybe there’s something that needs to be added in order to make the sound fuller and more rounded off. Nevertheless, each song on this album (especially in the second half) has a really neat and nice finish.

This album has a great production value and it has yet another set of secure material, however I feel that the band is missing something and could possibly benefit from finding out what this is and adding it to their music. I feel that once they have this, they’ll have tracks, which stand out and will influence others.

Line Up
Ian Jeffs – Vocals & Guitar
Jay Jeffs – Lead Guitar
Ollie Parsa – Bass
Bob Radford – Drums

Track Listing
By The Station Light
You Can’t Stop
Hailstones
Cities On Fire
Rags and Bones
Bigger Lungs
Wrecking Ball
The Debutante
Electric Pulse
Last Rat in Hamelin

Band Links
http://www.twelveclayfeet.com
http://www.myspace.com/twelveclayfeet
http://soundcloud.com/twelveclayfeet
http://twitter.com/TwelveClayFeet
https://www.facebook.com/twelveclayfeetmusic?fref=ts

Words by Caroline O’Mahoney.