It has been almost a years since Charlie Clark graced us with his melodic magic, during which time he resumed services with his band Astrid and further developed his label No Big Deal Music amongst a plethora of other activities. He is back, and just as effervescent as ever, with another shimmering track of sonic magic, ‘I Don’t Mind If You’re Right’.
Clark’s anthemic, jangling style explodes with an euphoric rush. It has the vitality and sparkle redolent of bands like Teenage Fanclub and The Charlatans with a touch of Ride-era shoegaze and Oasis Britpop, but ultimately he has his own style that is self-deprecating and laced with humour.
Clark entertainingly recounts the story behind the song, that was written during his time in LA:
Some years ago, a friend of mine had asked me to write a song for a funeral. In return, they gave me a pass to The Golden Bridge, a famous yoga studio in Hollywood. I’d never done Yoga before and waited till the pass had almost expired before I finally decided to try one class. To say I drank the Kool Aid is an understatement! I continued to practice, study and embrace the world of Kundalini Yoga every single day in the years that followed.
There’s a real science that you can apply to your life with that particular style of yoga/meditation so life can get a little freaky when you go deep with it… it can push you beyond your limits. ‘I Don’t Mind If You’re Right’ touches more on what lies beyond that.
The essence of inner power and resilience shines through the glorious harmonies and scaling guitars. Clark has an innate ability to infuse his songs with radiant sunshine and joy, with just a touch of melancholy and yearning. The accompanying video is a delight – scratchy screens and amusing graphics with Clark a louche and insouciant star: compelling and enigmatic.
It’s brilliant to welcome back Clark – normal service is resumed. The track was recorded and produced by Jason Shaw (Cambodian Space Project) and mastered by Mark Gardener from Ride, who add their special lustre – Clark says:
I love working with that pair and can’t really see myself working with anyone else in terms of my own music.
You can stream it here. The track follows a series of stunning singles last year off the much anticipated (and much delayed) album ‘Late Night Drinking’ due out this year (see my reviews for the magnificent tracks ‘Blink of An Eye‘, ‘Don’t Have A Cow‘, ‘Late Night Drinking‘, ‘No Big Deal‘ and ‘A Bridge To Your Idol‘).
