You would be forgiven for thinking the Lemon Clocks are a long lost band from days gone by. A wiggy name, combined with the trippy graphics garbing “Now Is The Time” does little to conceal what’s happening here.
But the truth is, the Lemon Clocks just recently formed. Coming together in the city where John, Paul, George and Ringo hailed from, the band includes some of our very favorite musicians. There’s Jeremy Morris, who has not only released cases of amazing albums that cover every genre in the book, but he also runs Jam Records, which is the place to go for all things melodic and marvelous. Stefan Johannsson of the Proper Electronic Organization and Todd Borsch from both the Ringles and the Gilligans further complete the band. The Lemon Clocks are a bona fide supergroup, and their accomplished songs certainly live up to their lofty reputations.
Juggling sun-bleached pop nuggets with freaky psychedelic strokes, Now Is The Time (Jam Records) sends the listener on a magical mystery tour of spellbinding sonic activity. Clusters of twinkling Rickenbacker riffs link arms with sweeping keyboard movements, while the drumming sustains a consistently spirited rhythm. The vocals, which radiate with clipped and catchy British inflections, serve as a perfect match for the mold of music the band plays.
Rippling with surreal intensity, “Lemon Clock Land” buzzes and hums with “Twilight Zone” imagery, where “Better World Beyond” struts, then swells and gells to a striking showcase sliced of shifting tempos climaxing into a thick mass of distorted commotion. Punching in at over nine minutes in length, the spacey track pickpockets shades of George Harrison’s “It’s All Too Much,” but there is certainly no crime against that. A slight boogie bent drives the jolly “Gum On My Shoe” and “Garden Of Eden” sparkles and shines with paisley padded power popping nobility. Glazed with fiery and forceful hard rocking guitars, “Rainbow Bridge” and “Life Is Like A Dream” rank as other breathtaking cuts featured on the album.
Constructed of disciplined but daring arrangements, not to omit ribbons of razor sharp hooks, Now Is The Time teems with exciting psychedelic pop rock escapades. The phrasing, mood and general approach recreate the style with impeccable insight and understanding. Drawing inspiration from the jingle jangle juices of the Byrds, the harmonious helpings of the Hollies and the experimental edge of Pink Floyd and Traffic, the Lemon Clocks, in the process, have spawned a sound that’s impossible not to enjoy.
Piloted by positive energy and a groovy groove on, Now Is The Time is the kind of record that makes you remember why you fell in love with rock and roll music in the first place. As far as I’m concerned, the Lemon Clocks are the best new band of the year!
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Lemon Clocks’ ‘Now is the Time’ is available for purchase here: http://www.jamrecordings.com/new.php?cart_details=show&alpha=&start=0&limit=20&total=50
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