Claudettes Go Out

Its hard not to interpret the title of The Claudettes Go Out! as the Chicago-based "garage cabaret" band embracing the thrill of being able to leave the house after a long period of pandemic-inspired isolation. Naturally, after spending so much time inside, the quartet have a bunch of pent-up energy that they choose not to release in a burst of manic exuberance but over the course of a rich, layered hour. Occasionally, the tempo is revved up -- witness "Dozing in the Crypt" -- yet the execution is sophisticated, suggesting a band bashing out 1960s pop after hours at a dive bar, sometimes so thoroughly connecting with the lateness of the hour that they drift into dream-pop. Even if there are some shimmering, ethereal touches, the hard-swinging piano of chief songwriter Johnny Iguana and the sweet, steely purity of vocalist Berit Ulseth give the Claudettes an earthy, human hook -- a sensibility that also keeps the post-pandemic gratitude from ever seeming mawkish. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine