The Clinch – ‘Our Path Is One’.
The Clinch – Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
A Melbourne band with solid genealogy from the local area, The Clinch are not one to be passed off as “just another Punk band”. The band’s debut album released back in June gives a classic, reminiscent yet also freshly churned rendition of UK-esque Street Punk and Oi! with enough of the 77′ sound to balance it all without any dramas in sight.
The Clinch write heartfelt, honest Punk-Rock songs in the most natural way possible which do their best – by simply existing – to take away the sad gloom laid over Oi! from many of it’s patrons questionable political decisions over the years. But enough of that! The band long for home and good company in ‘Hearts In Diamonds’ via a likeness that can only be described as early Rancid fronted instead by Matt Freeman and the latter love of Oi! Lars Frederikson would show in the Old Firm Casuals.
The band’s strong and evident Street Punk sound is refined and more classically alined with their Oi! structure but also carries an ever-so slight melodic tendency in the guitars that helps it all down a little easier. ‘Not Dying’ and ‘Demons’ make excellent use of this and are some of The Clinch’s most anthemic.
‘Make It Count’ is another album highlight and it couldn’t possibly make it’s point any clearer – ‘There’s so much we hear about, the world keeps getting smaller, got too much to think about, your days are getting shorter […]’
Punk-Rock love songs are far more common place then you’d think from the general stigmatised point of view and ‘Don’t Let Go’ is very much as such and another for the Rancid fans. ‘A New Land’ relinquishes the pace the album has lacked until this point with another bleak, chilling tale testament to good song-writing.
‘One Day’ is very much the band at their most melodic, their most contemporary and arguably for not the first time on this debut album, their best. ‘One Day’ is a track shaded in the backdrop of a depressing modern existence but is itself that rallying cry that with luck, it will all be ultimately worth the struggle.
The latter half of Our Path Is One flirts with the more melodic Punk sound as much as it again relinquishes the Street Punk you’d have expected. The Clinch take classic 77′ Punk guitar-work and flavours it via the stylistic changes made by it’s sonic-children and grandchildren making for a sound easily applicable for any Street Punk rager, Oi! aficionado or general Punk fan for that matter.
‘Private War’ is where I will leave you so get to know an album that is what it is and is proud of it. The Clinch had one goal and they have reached it repeatedly ten-(eleven)-fold.
Punk-Rock music, sometimes it just is and that’s more than ok.
Our Path Is One.
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