Middle Tennessee hard-rock trio The Clover Club is a staple at local venues, with recent appearances at Mayday Brewery and The Boro Bar & Grill, among others. They’ve got a show at Murfreesboro’s newest venue, The Block, on Saturday, Dec. 5, so it’s a perfect time to take a look at their debut album, Black.
The Clover Club’s sound prides itself on being heavy and hard. While it wouldn’t be a stretch to define the band as metal at some points, there’s definitely a bluesy swagger and rhythm that keeps them more in the hard-rock realm. Lyrically, a blues sentiment can be heard on the track “Devil,” the latest in a long line of “deal with the Devil” songs that date back to legendary bluesman and rock ’n’ roll forefather Robert Johnson. Rhythmically, the tracks “Woke Up Drinkin’,” “Diamonds & Cherries” and “Crazy Bull” all feature guitar parts or solos that sit somewhere between electric blues and Jimi Hendrix’s sonic take on the rock/blues guitar, all while maintaining heaviness.
This heavy sound comes not only from the production on the album (which sounds excellent compared to many local outfits’ mixes), but also from the distinct bass tone and riffs on the album. Clover Club shies away from the unfortunate trend of drowning out the bass in the mix, so you can prominently hear the bass on all the tracks on Black. Most distinctly, the album kicks off with a Motörhead-like bass riff that guides the track into a heavy rhythmic focus. This track, “My Idea of Heaven,” and a lot of songs on Black give off a vibe similar to Pantera, especially with the raw growl in the vocals of guitarist Dustin Rye.
Along with the vocals, The Clover Club is instrumentally sound, with bassist Christopher Campbell and drummer Shawn Jones leading the charge and making Black a great listen for hard-rock fans: These guys play tight together, all while individually remaining distinct. Even though some of the tracks on the album aren’t as memorable as the ones cited in this review, the album is sonically uniform and the material is sure to sound great (and heavy) live.
For more on the band check out thecloverclub.bandcamp.com.
