Clowns

***Melbourne punks CLOWNS have never been ones to conform. The five-piece started in 2010 as a more-or-less straightforward hardcore punk act, but over the course of their first four albums have steadily evolved and mutated their sound in whatever direction they felt like. The upcoming album Endless continues down this snaking path—it’s 12 songs swerving right and left abruptly, veering from frenetic punk to slower more psychedelic-tinged rock, all while remaining a cohesive amalgamation of their previous work. It’s no surprise that the past few years have been like nothing the members of Clowns have experienced before. The changing world profoundly affected the band, but they have persevered and have now emerged through the dark tunnel of the last few years and turned them on their heads. The result is an album whose central theme is immortality and whose songs represent a newfound sense of strength, empowerment, and overcoming adversity. That spirit of mental and physical renewal flows through the twelve tracks of Endless.