Panic Attack
We Know Better, 2020
10/10
The Texas trio Clifffs may not be a band you’ve heard before, but you’ll certainly want to hear a lot more of them after spending time with this sophomore album. Composed of John Dufilho, Bill Spellman, and Andy Lester, these Dallas residents sure know their way around a place to reside where melody and racket collide and things can get quite disheveled in all the best ways.
“Undone” gets the album off to a proto-punk start with a slinky rhythm and a head bobbin’ pace, and this continues to the fuzzy garage rock of “Manatee”, as well as the fuller, anthemic delivery of the gritty and tuneful “Into The Salt”.
Wtih the bulk of the tunes not over 2 minutes in length, Clifffs trim the fat and gets right to the point with their precisely loose formula. Deeper cuts include the hypnotic and brisk “It’s All Gone Wrong”, where call and response vocals add much to the landscape, while “Gotta Fix This Now” bounces with a punk energy that will remind you all the early greats of the genre as crisp percussion highlights the affair. Though there isn’t a dud to be found, “Dark Clouds”, with its post-punk backdrop and multiple vocals, is certainly a stand out.
Closer to the end, “Stipe” brings in a drum machine for a darker excursion into almost spacey sounds, and “Life”, although the shortest tune, leaves an impression with its furious drum fills, throbbing bass lines and shouted vocals.
Though they’re a punk outfit at their core, Clifffs drag their calculated noise across many genres, rarely taking time for a breath and moving with a memorableness that’s likely to be record of the year material.
Travels well with: The Hip Priests- Stand For Nothing; Professor And The Madman- Live At The 100 Club