Kate Clover is bound and determined on affecting "Damage Control"
Building toward the release of their sophomore LP, Kate Clover’s latest single “Damage Control” is an introspective ballad that softens the band’s hard-edged retro-rock sound while incorporating layers of narrative nuance that reframes the catastrophic destruction of a car crash as a metaphor for rebirth on the road to retribution.
Flirting with jangly surf rock riffs and propelled by a rhythm section that’s firmly in the pocket, the band exudes clean-cut professionalism as Clover relates her tale of twisted steel and broken hearts with and air of resolute affection and unflappable determination. It’s this undercurrent of strength that serves as a common thread throughout Kate Clover’s work, represented in fine form as a showcase for the emotional heft skillful songwriting and precision playing can lend to even the simplest of melodies.
Filmed in grainy, all-analog black and white framed within a tight 4:3 ratio, “Damage Control” feels completely untethered from time, existing in nebulous limbo somewhere between 1954 and 2024 where skinny ties and fender fins never went out of fashion. While the enduring imagery references some of rock ‘n’ roll’s most iconic motifs, Kate Clover avoids a nostalgia overdose by injecting the video with impressionistic storytelling brought to life by director Paige Stark.
Cruising darkened streets and hauntingly empty late-night LA highways, Clover is alone with her thoughts behind the wheel of a large automobile, the melancholy aspect of the self bound and blindfolded alongside the personification of grinning optimism rendered with Lynchian duality. The spectre of self-doubt and emotional baggage can never truly be left behind, but through sheer force of will one can subdue the apprehensive inner-monologue, if only temporarily, to press ever forward along the highway to a brighter destination. The acknowledgement of the silent passenger, the persistent companion, serves as a reminder of how far one has come in pursuit of a life lived to its fullest in the brilliant light of hope and positivity.
The Apocalypse Dream is out April 5. Stream “Damage Control” on Spotify and follow Kate Clover on Instagram.
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