Life Got Claws Album Review
Life Got Claws is the fourth album released by Swedish band The Secret French Postcards. Formed in 2016, this group aptly proclaims their style to be “post-punkish;” while their use of driving bass lines, drum machines, muttering baritone vocals, and icy synthesizers reflects inspiration drawn from classic 80s post-punk, the distant guitars drowned in wet effects and feedback contribute to a soundscape which merits categorization alongside dream pop or shoegaze. This latest release by the band most clearly exemplifies their approach to music. The first thing one may notice about the album is the unintelligibility of the vocals. Partnered with an apparent lack of any published lyrics, this aspect of the record tops off the air of mystery built into it by the rest of the mix. However, whereas artists who construct similar ethereal soundscapes may intentionally forego lyric-writing to utilize vocal performance as an instrument itself instead, it sometimes seems as if The Secret French Postcards intended for there to be lyrics to the record; listeners may be taken aback by their sudden ability to recognize the words “smell of you” during the track Don’t Fear Me, which are oddly prominent in the mix among other instances of lyrical discernibility. While the washed-out nature of the vocals fits the general vibes of the album, its execution is carried out in a manner less indecisive between being audible or dreamy.