– Cloth – John Kennedy Program – Radio X – May 12, 2023 –
Cloth to put us in a weekend mood. Broadcast and recorded just hours ago for John Kennedy’s X-Posure program.
Based out of Glasgow, Cloth are the twin sibling duo of Rachael and Paul Swinton. The pair originally decided to try their hand at music back in 2018, working alone on the tracks that would become their self-titled debut album. An album constructed from home-recorded voice notes, Cloth turned them into something rather magical, a fact noticed by both the Scottish Album Of The Year judges, who shortlisted it for that year’s prize, and by Cloths’ fellow Scottish musicians, with support slots for both Arab Strap and The Twilight Sad. Since then the band have signed to Mogwai’s Rock Action Records, who released the band’s 2022 EP, Low Sun, and last week shared the band’s second record, Secret Measure.
Secret Measure is something of a road mark for Cloth, the first time they’ve opened up their creative circle, inviting the acclaimed producer Ali Chant on board, aiming to turn, “their tried-and-tested insular working process on its head”. It’s not the only major change, with Paul stepping out as the band’s sole lyricist, having previously shared the job with Rachael. The result is a more focused and forthright collection, shedding ambiguity for a record that goes in search of reassurance and hope, even if sometimes the world feels like it has hit new levels of bleak, “you can always find a flash of hope to hold on to if you look hard enough”.
Musically, the change in Cloth’s style is instantly evident. Take the opening title track, Secret Measures is a master class in subtle layering, starting with a Cross Record-like guitar line, it grows to a subtle cacophony their label bosses would be proud of. Elsewhere, the recent single Ambulance, a song about, “the aftermath of losing touch with someone who was a really influential person in your life“, is sheer beauty in simplicity, the subtle looping guitar line and flourishes of piano and santoor, “an amazing percussive Indian instrument“, creating a song that feels like it’s always about to explode into sound but never quite does.
A further example of the pair’s progression comes with Pigeon, the song that announced their new record back in May. The production is fabulous, every instrument ringing out on its own terms without ever sounding like they’re standing on one another’s toes, while Rachael’s beautifully hushed vocal explores ideas of being comfortable in the future even when the present threatens to overwhelm. A personal favourite comes towards the album’s close with Money Plant, the simplicity of the bass line allowing room for a delightfully complex array of percussive interventions without ever threatening to overwhelm the gentle wistfulness of the vocal delivery. This isn’t a record of giant proclamations, instead, it is one of gentle earworms, songs that creep into your conscious with repeat listens and refuse to let go, an album out of step with the pace of the modern world and all the better for it.
Press Play, crank it up and get ready for the weekend.
(Special thanks to For The Rabbits for the insightful bio article).
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