{grate 3.5} Despite their relative mainstream anonymity, British based
Clinic are hardly newcomers to alternative rock with their fifth album, the
emphatically titled Do It!. Building on the eclectic fusion of disparate genres
and sounds that produce the group’s current label-defying reputation, Do It!
delivers inscrutably catchy tracks that have prompted widespread critical
praise and a modest but passionate cult of listeners. Incorporating everything
from smooth electric guitar riffs and pounding beats to bursts of synthesizer,
Do It! is pleasing to the ear, if puzzling to comprehend.

The first track, “Memories,” is a microcosm of the album,
oscillating between a generic guitar riff and an eerie series of chimes. The
tones mix with airy, accented vocals, presenting an absolute departure from the
ubiquitous lyrics that characterize most indie bands. Off-kilter notes from
trademark vintage keyboards and organs (contributing to their retro sound)
initially detract from the fluidity, but their seemingly random insertion
eventually subsides into a dreamy, flowing fluency, a composition of organized
chaos. Contrast pervades, with tracks smoothly segueing from gritty and
thumping to calm and meandering, with the often fast-paced instruments a foil
to the lyrics’ softer tones.

The album is tight and concise with 11 tracks clocking in at
just over 30 minutes, inflicting only a mild case of musical fatigue that might
otherwise result from the repetitive rehash of the same basic framework.
Clinic’s chief problem is a frequent imitation of self; they need to vary their
style more and dig into further, unexplored territory.

Clinic offers a sound that refrains from the overwhelming
musical cacophony of contemporary alternative rock, instead favoring a calmer
and more accessible style. While this originality has rendered widespread
success elusive for Clinic, it is refreshing for a band to shun the formulaic
playbook and attempt to write its own.