Michael Patrick Brady

My review of the new Clogs album, The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton, ran today in the Boston Phoenix.

Don’t let the twee album title put you off. This is a beautiful record of well composed, classically-inspired music that is evocative and compelling. The band has generally kept things instrumental in the past, but for Creatures they’ve imported the amazing Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond to lead six tracks. Her powerful, operatic vocals dominate the record, and Clogs would be wise not to let her go. She elevates the music to a whole new level, and tracks like “The Owl of Love” are brought to life thanks to her remarkable gifts.

Creatures is on Brassland, label of Nico Muhly, and they share a modern classical outlook with Nico, albeit one that relies more on chamber music and Renaissance ballads than Philip Glass. Padma Newsome’s work on the album reminded me at times of another modern classical composer, Eyvind Kang, particularly the track “Mistress Mine” from The Yelm Sessions, or the eerie, pastoral folk of Fern Knight. I was happy to discover that Clogs’ drummer is none other than Thomas Kozumplik of percussion duo Loop 2.4.3, who I profiled in the most recent issue of ALARM Magazine. Creatures is a marvelously designed piece of work, one that serves as a welcome reminder of what talent, skill, and inspiration can accomplish when harnessed by a willing group of capable performers.

Buy Clogs’ The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton at Amazon.