Concept albums are fickle mistresses. Not only must the music be spot-on, but the band must also make damned sure that the concept they’re attempting to communicate is understood and comprehended by anyone who might be listening. Thus, as technically precise and poetically rich as Redshift / Blueshift, the debut full-length from Clock Hands Strangle, might be, the concept for the album seems to languish and falter in presentation. The record is designed to be split into thematic and sonic halves, with the “redshift” being about loss and objects moving away (set to moody folk music), while the “blueshift” is about acceptance and objects drawing in (set to up-tempo rock). The unfortunate complication is that the album doesn’t seem to be split at all - the rock of the second half isn’t easily distinguishable from the folk of the first half. Just because a band uses a few more electric guitar tracks doesn’t turn a folk ditty into a full-on rock song. All of that being said, the songwriting of these Melbourne, FL natives is impeccable, with lyrics that are full of swoops and swirls, properly aligned to tight folk-pop instrumentation. In the end, Clock Hands Strangle would have been better served to set the redshift/blueshift concept aside and focus on making a flowing, cohesive album that places the actual musical content of their songs on center stage.
--Adam P. Newton
