Fantasy Island. Clinic

Clinic took a few years off but is back in full force with new energy and new songs. With Fantasy Island the band releases its second album in two years. Of course the band produces its mix of pop and electronics in its superior way. Not much has changed here. Fans of Depeche Mode and Pet Shop Boys should be able to find their way to Clinic but will have to work harder as well. Perhaps this is the reason why I like Clinic better than the other two bands. I'm definitely challenged a lot more on Fantasy Island.

Clinic is around for a few decades already. Fantasy Island is its 9th album since 2000. and I realise that I do not know anything about it. An album review is all I have probably read in the past. So, let's look at the band a little first. The band formed in 1993 under the name Pure Morning in Liverpool. The four members remained together until the hiatus. When Clinic re-emerged in 2019, it had lost two of its founding members. Adrian Blackburn and Jonathan Hartley are responsible for the new album(s) as a duo.

Keyboards, synths, samplers, sequencers and electronic beats make up the sound of Fantasy Island. Sure there may be a guitar hidden in the mix here and there, this is an electronic album. Don't expect to find a normal sounding voice as well. All vocals have some kind of treatment, befitting all else. Get into the groove and mood of the album and it all sounds so good. This is the key to this highway, the listener has to capture the groove to get into the mood.

Clinic is not a lot of things. Not extremely melodic. It is not easy to dance to. It throws in a lot of odd sounds distracting from the main sound. It estranges its listeners quite easily, even in the cover on the album, 'I Can't Stand The Rain', it manages to estrange. And yet, the music works for the whole of the way. I simply hooked up my cart to the passing train called Fantasy Island and went along for the ride.

Clinic is cold, I'll grant you that comment. Clinical may describe the way the band presents its music. That is not the same as indifferent. For that there are more than enough moments to enjoy. Take 'Grand Finale'. Clinic is definitely playing with its format here and producing its variant of fun fair music. Listen and you will find more of these moments, where Clinic found the extras it can offer in its music. Moments that are surprising, perhaps a bit odd but certainly enlivening its songs.

"A plane, a plane", the midget in the tv series from long again called out in his funny accent. 'Fantasy Island' was a place where the guests could live out their fantasy. I'm sure Blackburn and Hartley were able to live theirs while recording this album.

Wout de Natris