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The Ivory Coast: Clouds

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“Emo” is this decade’s equivalent of “alternative”: a widely overused and misused term that never made much sense to begin with. It is the tag that you’ll probably find on most reviews of Clouds, the newest offering from Boston’s The Ivory Coast. What that all boils down to is that Clouds is a polished piece of indie pop music through and through. (I hesitate using the word “pop” ever since Justin Timberlake at his vacuous throng polluted the term; perhaps this need for separation is why the pundits invented the “emo” umbrella).

The album’s artwork is a bit deceptive, preparing you for a slow, spacey trip that just hints at a storm. Actually, Clouds isn’t afraid to ride the lightning. “Lake Placid 1986” kicks the album off with lots of guitar distortion and fuzz. Jay Cox shouts his way through “Swope,” then he and Drew O’Doherty keep up the heat on “To My Brilliant Wigmaker” and “Taking Up Serpents.”

The frenzied approach is somewhat new with this album, but The Ivory Coast doesn’t sacrifice their knack for the catchy chorus. Some of the verses kind of blur together, but they are always able to pull it together for the chorus. Make no mistake, beneath all the emo-core and Telecaster blistering, this is a band whose strength is being able to write damned good pop songs (i.e. the album’s second track, “Five Little Graves”).

This isn’t to say that they can’t successfully wander from the established path a bit. “Traveler,” one of the album’s highlights, nails the well-worn “restrained verse—exploding chorus” formula. The interplay between the five members of the band is what makes the album interesting throughout, and on “Traveler” it’s the connection of bassist Nick Hubben and drummer Mahmood Shaikh that shines. The song gradually—and seamlessly—disintegrates into a groovy synth-heavy outro.

The album’s closer, “There Will Be Clouds,” is another stand-out. Again, the track is compelling because they could’ve left it alone as a slim and pleasing pop song. Instead, though, The Ivory Coast stretch it out for almost 15 minutes. The track was done on one take and features the band members responding to each other’s improvisations. It captures a live feel as well as any studio track could hope to do.

Clouds is the right mix of formula and ambition. The Ivory Coast take their chances—sometimes stumbling, but often succeeding—and always remember to come back with a hook just in case you’ve been left behind.

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