The Claim - The New Industrial Ballads

“And now a song of hope / Despite despairing hearts”

The Claim are to release their first album since 1988’s ‘Boomy Tella’ via Turntable Friend Records on May 24th. Release date-wise, it’s perfection. Nothing is more British than a bank holiday, as the band they heavily influenced once sang:

“Bank holiday comes six times a year
Days of enjoyment to which everyone cheers”

Recorded at Jim Riley’s Ranscombe Studios in Rochester, they look set to reignite the Medway sound. At the heart of the original Medway boom were great pop instincts, nothing has changed.

Lead single ‘Johnny’ is the perfect link to this past. The urgency of Jam permeating their spiralling pop guitars. Meanwhile, Dave Read’s vocal hook on ‘When The Morning Comes’ chorus demonstrates pop music can emerge from even downbeat affairs. ‘Smoke and Screens’ and ‘The Haunted Pub’ is a display of pop music transcending to art. A flurry of polemic and social comment wrapped up in working class British life collides with sun-kissed production and sprightly guitar hooks. Whereas, the sparkling Grandaddy production and Bluetones' pop sheen of 'Just Too Far' is the album’s cherry on the cake. The Smiths methodology burns bright.

In 2015, Sam Duckworth (aka Get Cape Wear Cape Fly) released an EP and album under the moniker ‘Recreations’. It tapped into a feeling of alternative and lost souls along the estuary in Essex. The Claim, a five-minute hop across the Thames, has struck a similar chord. Opener ‘Johnny Kidd’s Right Hand Man’, drifts down the estuary ignored and downtrodden but never losing hope. The mod-cum-blues on ‘Estuary Greens and Blues’ recalls Blur’s ‘End of Century’ and ‘To The End’ as it drifts out to sea. So blissful is album closer 'Under Canvas', that all those sneering looks for wearing DM's or having to tolerate Farage lovers drift away into insignificance.

The Claim, despite obviously being a band of brothers, have, in Dave Read a vocalist that perhaps only Morrissey and Michael Head can rival. Unique in sound, he has the ability to find a melodic hook in unexpected places. 'Light Bending', as the guitars saunter like British Sea Power circa 'Open Season', finds a choppy Dr Feelgood vibe. Whereas, 'Mrs Jones', Read delivers his most emotive vocal on a loving character-driven tale.

The subtlety of The Claim’s polemic gently caressing the infectious melodies is truly remarkable. Blink and you’ll miss the band’s appeal to be nicer to immigrants on ‘Journey’. Couple this with the righteousness of ‘I will stand and fight / for what I know is right’ and Read’s gut-wrenching alienation on the line ‘where do I fit in…………where do I belong’, you have one of the social comments of the year. On ‘Hercules’, the nuance turns to anti-austerity polemic (“boarded up shops / Run down housing / There’s your big society”) but remains forever pop friendly. This is how to mix pop and politics without an embarrassment of excuses.

It’s been 30 years since their debut ‘Boomy Tella’. Countless fans will have pondered what might have been having they got a bigger break back then. We defy them not to see this 30 years wait as positive now. Integrity in tack, The Claim have delivered a pop music masterpiece.

Friday 2nd August marks our 8th birthday. Come down to the New Cross Inn for a night of great live music. Tickets available here:

The Claim: 100 Club, London

Celebrating the re-release of their 1988 album ‘Boomy Tella’ and, the release of the new single ‘Journey’, Kent’s The Claim headlined the 100 Club in London this past Saturday night.

Along with ‘Journey’, they aired other new songs ‘Just Too Far’, ‘Dear’ and ‘Hercules’. All of which retained their razor sharp Medway roots and continued to find interesting ways to deliver pop hooks.

Their classic ‘Birth of Teenager’, knits the support of Treasures of Mexico and Jasmine Minks together with is dark lyrics and infectious melodies.  

On ‘Boomy Tella’ album opener ‘Not So Simple Sharon Says’, The Smiths’ 60s British kitchen sink drama imagery is displayed gloriously. Dave Read’s vocal’s, although vastly different in sound, have Mozza’s knack in finding great and unexpected vocal hooks.

The pop majesty just kept coming has they dived into their back catalogue on ‘Lonely Tarts’ and ‘Between Heaven and Woolworths’. When David Arnold gets his hazy jingle jangle via Mod’s immediacy going like this, it’s easy to imagine what a young Graham Coxon was listening to before ‘Modern Life Is Rubbish’. Just how did roaring success pass them by?

However, there was no place to be wayward or cynical at this gig. So rare are their live shows that, their credibility and integrity just continues to grow in their absence. Now, with new material shining on its debut London outing, the new album cannot come soon enough (May 24th)

*Image courtesy of https://twitter.com/akumulator_uk

Treasures of Mexico : 100 Club, London

With former members of The Dentists in the band, Chatham’s Treasures of Mexico were always going to light up the 100 Club this past Saturday. Their penchant for sun kissed tunes displayed in full force as they supported the legendary Jasmine Minks and The Claim.

From opener ‘Holding Pattern’ to set closer ‘She’ll Never Get Over Me’, the Kent outfit hit a sweet spot, effortlessly rumbling along like The Feelies, circa ‘Good Earth’. With Bob Collins on lead guitar, they had the ability to step out from the shadows of gentle indie. Whether it’s Weller on the attack or the effortless psyche-jangle of the Fanclub’s Norman Blake on ‘Avalanche’ or ‘The Last Thing’, it’s clear Collins still has the “it” factor.  

During ‘The Last Thing’ and ‘She’ll Never Get Over Me’, front man Mark Matthews threatens a Mark E Smith menace that doesn’t quite materialise. It’s a tantalising piece of brilliance. As the melodic sunshine unfurled, an angst loitered and had the crowd on tenterhooks. The not knowing whether a punk fury was going to breakout of these perfect pop songs was exhilarating.

It’s on ‘Supercute’ where everything comes together for them. Matthews has tapped in to the romanticism of Spector girl groups and Lawrence from Felt, Collins has licks and solos to redefine the C86 movement and in Secret Affair drummer Russ Baxter, they have a melodic beat keeping behemoth.

You will be hard pressed to find a band this good, third on the bill of any gig for the rest of the year.

*Image courtesy of https://twitter.com/akumulator_uk

The Claim at the 100 Club

The illustrious 100 Club played host to the inaugural Medway Weekender. Headlining the first night were The Claim, a genuine hidden treasure from Cliffe in Kent.

They open with the ‘Say So’, a solid reminder of a time when singles could be a blend of infectious and thought-provoking melodies. ‘Do You Still Feel’ furthers this notion, the Roses style drums are met with a withdrawn Boo Radleys-esque vocal during the verses. They serve as a perfect precursor to a rousing chorus and irresistible guitar part.

Closing the set was the classic ‘Sporting Life’. The guitars are as sharp as ever on this paisley gem. The contrast of the high and low guitar parts is a thing of beauty. It builds the tension expertly in this tale of gambling woe and then, as all hope is seemingly burned, comes the lightest of jingle jangle touches.  

What remains apparent, is without frontman David Read, there never would have been an audience for so many beloved alternative singers. He has a great nous of creating something truly interesting within a great guitar melody. Where Ian Brown and Mark Morriss were going for pop nirvana, Read straddles that line of underground/overground like The Simpsons did for its initial 8 seasons with aplomb.

How long The Claim will be back for remains unknown, but this was a special night with a special band so, here’s hoping for a lot more.