Self Released (label)
23 January 2026 (released)
15 h
This is a band with members that have known each other from the age of 12 and it shows: with stories that crossover from young adolescence to adulthoods, and a blend of sounds that have clearly been the soundtrack and inspirations of their lives. ‘Tell Me What You Want’ sounds like the lovechild of a Royal Blood and Foals supergroup, that crescendos with a damning, high explosive riff that you can tell was written to stand the hairs of the neck of its live captivators.
Fan favourite ‘Element’ is driven by a blues riff that sounds like Elvis on steroids. There are different inspirations and sounds present on each and every track of this album, but it’s the swagger and attitude of this early success story in the Clause’s discography that this album, and perhaps the foundation of the band, was built upon; the early indie influences are littered throughout. ‘White Lifelines’ has a riff that wouldn’t sound out of place on an early Arctic Monkeys record, and ‘Weekend Millionaire’ mentions a direct reference, namechecking the Oasis track ‘Columbia’ directly. Perhaps the standout on the record, and one of the lead singles ‘I Don’t Care’ is the prime example of how far this band have come in terms of confidence and songwriting. It captures a young adult torn between growing up for someone else and staying young with friends who aren’t ready to let go yet.
Fan favourites are ever-present throughout this record as expected, but it’s the slower and more wholesome moments that give them the diversity, and the understanding that this is a band that knows what makes a record unique. It’s moments of songs like ‘Exception’ that gives the album a bit of room to breathe, with a swirling acoustic pop ballad that comes as a pleasant surprise when you’ve been through the whirlpool and swagger of songs like ‘Tell Me What You Want’.
The storytelling is a huge part of what makes The Clause stand out. ‘Don’t Blink’ slowly builds, with its lyrics laying the foundations from the outset. The words act as concrete, setting in frustration as the instrumentals rise around them, until it all becomes too much and spills over into an anthemic wave of indie euphoria and release, with observational lyrics such as:
“The bars are filled with could’ve beens
And FA rejects plagued with dodgy knees
And half the kids from secondary
Are now shifting gear just to make ends meet”
The Clause have a busy 2026, with a January tour that’s already well underway, that takes a break at the end of February and resumes again in March, which boasts European dates. Not to mention already being on the bill of some of the UK’s most exciting festivals such as Tramlines and Ynot, this is a band carving out their own path.
