Clean Cut Kid replace spacious melancholy with flushed outrage in their reworking of “Loud Places” by Jamie xx. The two versions are independent and yet can coexist, like warring voices in the head of the protagonist.
The Liverpool-based band have dazzled with their own brand of glitchy pop-laced indie-rock showcased in singles “Runaway,” “Vitamin C” and most recently, “Pick Me Up” in the past year. This time the quartet, who cut their teeth on the live circuit by opening for the likes of Shura and Years & Years, take what was once a delicate and introspective pop ballad and transform it into a track with insistent percussion and driving bass. Their diverse vocals and interwoven harmonies add an element of classic rock, for me effortlessly evoking the likes of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and Fleetwood Mac – the latter of which are cited as one of the band’s main influences.
Clean Cut Kid will be embarking on an intense summer tour of the UK festival circuit – an exhaustive run that totals 30 dates including Glastonbury, Latitude and Reading & Leeds. “Loud Places” is bound to find its way into their setlist and will be well received by festival-goers likely to already be familiar with the original, lifted from the electronic producer’s 2015 debut solo record, In Colour. A truly effective cover is one that contains the essential spirit of the original, while rendering it anew. Clean Cut Kid not only prove that this is possible with their versatile track but it is also an indication of the huge dose of natural talent they possess. With a new single-proper also scheduled in the coming weeks via Polydor, it is set to be a busy but enjoyable festival season for a hugely promising band.
“Loud Places” is available as a free download here.