That Night, a Forest Grew

This is the third, and last, of a trilogy of E.P.s the Clientele have recorded for Acuarela. They have always used the Acuarela E.P.s as a way to stretch out between albums, to create a through-the-looking-glass version of the band that shadows the better-known history of their albums. Ariadne experimented with drones and minimalism, The Lost Weekend stretched the foggy sound of their debut to epic proportions. In contrast That Night, a Forest Grew is the most commercial and -shockingly- danceable thing they've ever recorded. Part Bacharach, part Television, part Orange Juice, the E.P. shares the pristine clarity, light and shade of God Save the Clientele, but adds a new element of summer pop perfection. This is The Clientele as a hazily remembered 1970s cartoon series, all distanced off-key colours; imaginary summer hits, radio waves beamed in from a dream-discotheque.