by Kris Handel (@khandel84)
Constellations is the sophomore album from Vermont quartet Clever Girls who combine dusty Americana influences with bursts of psychedelic noise mixed in. Their songs have a deep-rooted bounciness in them that combines with a spiky lyrical bent to produce ecstatic moments that have real emotional depth. Diane Jean’s songwriting is laced with anguish and questioning that hits forcefully amidst jangly guitars and a rhythm section that swivels proficiently between tempos and moods. There is a comforting haze with Clever Girls that is evocative of the rolling hills, wide landscapes and creaky porches that surround their Burlington (or adjacent) residences.
“Remember Pluto” is a cloud of jangle as Jean’s vocal chirp over hushed cymbals and a glam-inspired bounce fueled by whirring keys and the sparkling guitars of Jean and Winfield Holt. There is a rush that recalls early to mid-period REM mixed with the dramatic pop highs of Ziggy-esque Bowie that delivers quite a well thought out hook. “Baby Blue” is a moment of dreamy-pop bliss and hopefulness exhibited with spacy keyboard vamping and sympathetic guitar interjections as Jean’s vocals take center stage. There is a sense of peace here that is welcome and an energy that is contagious in its quiet and warm swirling.
“Womxn” is a crunchy, dark, and noisy maelstrom of upheaval and insecurity driven by Jean at her most unsure, as the first half of the song is full of lounge-y walking bass lines, squiggling guitar, and keyboard. Eventually everything collapses into pounding drum work and guitars that unleash torrents of noise symbolizing upheaval and a rebirth/acceptance of some sort. “Saturn” lurches and jumps, pushed forward by the bounding bass of Tobias Sullivan, answered by chiming and wavering guitar fills. Jean spins a tale of settling into a relationship and routine that provides some security and comfort despite underlying unsteadiness.
Constellations is a record of constant movement that never settles itself into one space or another, but the flow is enchanting. This a document that is full of turbulence and extremes in instrumentation and mood, that is heightened by the feistiness in the lyrics, grounded in a determined honesty. There are moments of clarity that express a beauty and calm, and while fleeting it still lets the listener to feel a sense of hopefulness. Clever Girls are a band with a determination to move through uncertainty and find a way to celebrate their own individuality in a world that might be chaotic but it’s a chaos that leads to progress and new experiences to meet head on.