Single: “Being Boiled” by Klammer

When a band are three albums into a career with many highs, one could debate which direction they will choose next. Yorkshire’s finest components of all things Post/Punk and Dark/Pop have decided now is the time to take on a cover version. Now most bands try this trick towards the end of a career when there’s little left in the tank. However: Klammer have been building a steady momentum with some stellar supports, while making a name for themselves at all the right festivals.

And so you ask, who are the lucky recipients of their craft in question? None other than 70’s and 80’s Electro/New Romantic pioneers The Human League. The track of choice is “Being Boiled”. There are two ways to go about covering a song these days – stay close to the original or give it a new and unique flavour all of your own. Thankfully Klammer chose the latter. The accompanying video isn’t too shabby either.

The opening is an interesting one, before a shimmering guitar part takes centre stage. The power of the snare-driven hitting is just powerful enough not to distort the overall sound. There’s a squally guitar part early on that keeps it from being “just another cover version”. It’s noodly and slightly at odds with the rest of the song and appears throughout, but its Dark/Pop undertone is more than apparent. It’s Electric, it’s giddy – it’s everything I want to hear from a re-appraisal of an old song for new ears.

The video is lo-fi and (one assumes) low budget, which is its strength. Poss (vox) looks focused throughout while Steve (guitar) adopts a more measured pose, moving only to emphasise his fretwork. Rob (drums) looks like a puppet on strings, such is the ‘marching on the spot’ style of hitting. Mike (bass) is equally statuesque but none less important. Its dark underbelly is not underplayed at all. One would expect to hear this version played in Rock and Goth clubs Countrywide. In fact, it looks like a band playing a lo-fi gig in a basement club! Klammer continue to push the boundaries of a genre they are owning right now. My only question now would be what do they do next?

Band Members
Paul Strickland (Vocals/Guitar)
Steve Whitfield (Guitar/Vocals)
Mike Addy (Bass)
Rob Longley (Drums)

Links
http://klammer.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/klammerband

Review by Ross A. Ferrone.