The Clumsy Lovers play raucous, uptempo Celtic-based rock with all kinds of Pacific Rim influences. Based in the Vancouver, B.C., area, the Lovers incorporate Californian and Hawaiian folk-rock, reggae and ska into their lively musical brew.
The band writes much of its own material, often mating its own compositions with traditional jigs and reels. Although guitarist Trevor Rogers writes most of the songs and does most of the singing, mandolinist Chris Hamilton and fiddler Andrea Jonat (nee Lewis) also contribute vocals. Bassist Chris and drummer Cameron Jonat set the band’s hyperactive tempo.
The Lovers, who have been together in various lineups since the early Nineties, maintain a breakneck touring schedule up and down the West Coast of the U.S. and Canada, and they are popular regular performers in certain bars and clubs from Vancouver to Vegas. You can detect elements of similar bands such as Saw Doctors, Poi Dog Pondering or Portland’s Calobo in the Lovers’ sound, but the way they mix it up is totally their own.
The band’s enthusiasm is contagious. Barnburner (released either in early 1999, or 1996, or 2002, depending on which source you consult) lives up to its title, with 11 high-octane tracks in just 40 minutes of CD time. The first two tracks, “Good to be Alone” and “Monumental Stupidity,” are catchy, rocking numbers. Both have a strong Celtic feel to them, and make use of the clever juxtaposition of a slow melody line over a rapid beat. “California” is a slower number, blending sunny So-Cal folk with Celtic riffs and rhythms. “London Bridge” and “Bay & Algoma” mix Celtic tunes with reggae beat to good effect. The latter features some lightning mandolin and fiddle duels and even some Eastern European sounds in its slow introductory section. Rogers displays some fancy guitar fingerpicking on “On the Road,” an amusing amalgam of soul, Celtic, rock and ska. The final track, “Let the Sun Shine In” features Lewis’s best fiddle work on the album.
All the Lovers are in their late 20s or early 30s, and their music obviously reflects the lifestyles, feelings and concerns of young adults. I suspect they’ll learn somewhere down the road that not every song has to be played at top speed — particularly Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright.” And the lyrics to some of the songs, like Hamilton’s “Hangover,” are sophomoric and repetitive.
But if you’re looking for kick-up-your-heels Celtic rock, the Clumsy Lovers have it by the keg-full. A toast to these musicians, who not only write most of their own music, but also self-produce and distribute their own CDs and tapes. You can find Barnburner and others by the band on Bandcamp.
(Clumsy Lovers Records, 1999)
