The sound of Club Valley is challenging to describe. Using only drums, guitar and an alternative vocal approach, they’re somewhat reminiscent of a garage/punk-rock band. They define themselves a medley of things – jozi gaze surf rock, hypertech punk pop jazz, the new club valley wave. But it goes much deeper than this.
Their latest EP Life As You Know It, The Best of Luck and the Worst of Times is a mouth-full, but it’s not nearly as heavy to listen to as it is to say. Buoyant and ephemeral, daring and experimental, this five-track offering is intriguing, almost spiritual, and wonderfully candid, evoking a movie-like atmosphere that is the world perception of two music-makers keenly attune with one another.
First names Nigel and Jason, life is their playground, as daily obstacles transform into inspiration for songs of joy and acceptance. You feel their kinship in each organically constructed sound, and every measure of heartfelt writing. This truly is the picture of a two-piece packing way more than you’d ever expect.
“ILAH’S DREAM” is a personal favourite, its low-fi production and clangy guitar sweetly evocative of King Krule. There’s a sadness that comes through the cascading minors, which almost drown out everything else around them, leaving just enough emptiness for Nigel and Jason’s aching vocals. Volatile falsettos morph and evaporate into a bashing of drums, a mud-stained wall of eclectic sound, and the result is brilliantly original.
It’s rare that you find talent of this kind, so unaware of itself and the power it possesses. Club Valley make music for music itself. They follow no rules. They create spontaneously and daringly, and I hope these qualities continue to define them as they grow their careers. Our industry could really do with a few more risk takers.
