Justin Smith (guitar/vocals), Austin Carlin (guitar/vocals), Jay Gonzalez (drums) and Nick Vogel (bass) are From Clay. The band formed in 2016 and released As Long As You're Happy. They have a ubiquitous alternative sound that bares comparisons to bands like Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age and Lucky Boys Confusion.
The band has all the right tools and approach the songs in a no frills type of way. They stick to a lot of distorted guitars, heavy beats and steady bass patterns.”Keeping Up” is the opener and felt a little more aligned with ’90s punk bands. I liked the initial bass line and build that got the song going. The band switches it up quite often and plays at a fast BPM. “Lackluster” had single written all over it. The vibe veered towards straight alternative and felt contemporary. They have more success with the high energy with “Here's the Situation” which displays a little more of their technical skills. “Coma” has a good amount of hooks and the band reverts to ’90s punk on “Intersections.” They play into pop-punk on “Whispers.” The band is off to a good start especially for how little they have been together. They can write a solid hook and were for the most part in the pocket the entire time. I thought the individual members knew when to lay back and when to apply their instrument. The band is still in the very early stage of their development. I think the aspect they need to be keen on is just developing a signature sound. They are lots of obvious influences but the songs had a general alternative/punk vibe and it would be hard for me to pick out the band if I heard them a week later. The recordings were solid but there were specific areas I would have treated a little differently. There wasn’t enough snap in the snare for my liking for instance. Overall, the songs were good recordings but there are a couple things that would need to happen in order for them to really get that Foo Fighters type of recording. Overall, I think the band is doing all the right things and if you are fan of the aforementioned band you should check them out. I have a feeling we will be hearing more from them and I can’t wait to hear what’s next.
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