Five Albums That CLAMM Can't Stop Listening To

CLAMM’s second album, Care, is out now via Chapter Music. It follows the Melbourne trio’s debut, Beseech Me, which came out in 2020. The new record was recorded at Rolling Stock and Sound Park Studios with recording engineer Nao Anzai (NO ZU, Cash Savage, Rolling Blackouts).

Anzai adds synth parts to a number of the record’s big, loud and dark garage punk tunes. Saxophonist Anna Gordon also joins in, enhancing the feeling of confusion and earnest ambition generated by CLAMM’s Jack Summers (vocals/guitar), Maisie Everett (bass/vocals) and Miles Harding (drums/vocals).

CLAMM – ‘Something New’

To coincide with the album’s release, the members of CLAMM draw attention to the albums they can’t stop listening to.

Dag: Pedestrian Life

Miles Harding: Normally I’m not listening to music for the lyrics, or at least I don’t naturally do that, but with this album I couldn’t help but sing along to every song. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to an album on repeat for this long in my life. I wish I could stop, I’ve tried, but it keeps coming back. A masterpiece.

Hank Wood and the Hammerheads: S/T

Miles Harding: Hank Wood and the Hammerheads’ album S/T is always there for me. It hits the spot when I need to get fired up for some mundane daily task, making time speed up or something. Excellent punk out of New York. I wasn’t clued in last time they were in Melbourne and I hate myself for it every time I hear their music. Hopefully they come back to play soon.

Lily Allen: It’s Not Me It’s You

Maisie Everett: This album is totally nostalgic to me. My dad had the CD in his car when I was nine or ten and every single time, on the way to or from school or going the shops or whatever, we’d play it on repeat. It’s such a timeless album in my opinion. I still listen to it all the time.

’22’ has one of my favourite piano solos ever. So effortlessly catchy. I always wanted to learn how to play it. I vividly remember listening to the lyrics, definitely not understanding all the profanities at the time but just thinking, “Wow this chick is cool.”

Shabazz Palaces: Lese Majesty

Jack Summers: I can’t stop listening to this album at the moment, particularly since I saw Shabazz Palaces at their Melbourne show for Rising Festival a few months ago. Almost every song started with a noise-backed speech about life and energy. You can’t put this album in a box. Sits somewhere between hip hop and space music. It feels like it isn’t from Earth.

‘Forerunner Foray’ is an example of a track that makes me feel that I’m in a dream and in the dream I am moving my body to the beat of the music. This album is not concerned with the listeners’ understanding of music and I feel like I learn something after every listen.

Optic Nerve: In A Fast Car Waving Goodbye

Jack Summers: This is a four track EP by a Sydney band I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing live. I think the whole EP goes for about ten minutes, but I literally just loop it for about an hour a time some days. The quality and calibre of these songs make me shake my head, they’re so amazing.

The songwriting is straightforward and interesting and there is a perfect push and pull of the vocals and the instruments. It’s dynamic, the songs rise and fall and at their peak, they give me goosebumps. The mix is great. The drum sound is hot and good. Everything is hot and good, but it’s all loud and clear enough to feel the power of the songs. I want more.