It’s awkward second album time for The Cooper Temple Clause. Having captured the hearts of press and fans alike with their incendiary See This Through And Leave debut, the Reading sextet embark on a mission to establish themselves as the loveable rogues of the UK indie scene’s hierarchy with the release of Kick Up The Fire…
The album itself is an altogether darker, more melancholy affair than its predecessor, fusing gut-churning electro-synth noise with unnerving, childish melodies and eerie keys (see ‘Into My Arms’ and ‘New Toys’). The band’s rock ‘n’ roll roots are not entirely overlooked though, with anthemic, distorted guitar growls poking their heads up at intense moments of musical inebriation, as in ‘A.I.M.’, ‘Music Box’ or the entirety of ‘Promises Promises’. Their tendencies towards electronica and ambient soundscapes are also in situ on ‘In Your Prime’ and ‘Into My Arms’, amongst the othewise rampant sonic chaos.
Although Kick Up The Fire… is a more sound-centric than song-crafted record, and perhaps not as cohesive as it could or should have been, it’s an intriguing second step towards (what I’ve got money on to be) a killer third LP.