The second release from Atlanta trio
the Young Antiques is a pedestrian effort on all fronts: marginally played, bereft of memorable melodies, vocally ungifted. The band's sound draws as much from mid-'90s post-grungers like
Sponge and
Candlebox as from contemporaries like
Trapt and
the Libertines -- which really isn't as much of a leap as it might seem. Vocalist/guitarist
Blake Rainey had written all the songs on
the Young Antiques' debut, 2000's
Wardrobe for a Jet Weekend; this time he opens up to the contributions of bassist
Blake Parris and drummer
John Speaks on several cuts. The result is a consistent sound, but a consistently uninspired one. Any attempts at originality fall on their face, as on the inexplicably half-spelled refrain of "Por-c-e-l-a-i-n" on "Porcelain" and the unnecessary "Clockworker" interlude, while of the more derivative tracks, only "Little to the Left" and the too-brief "Holiday" have any spirit to them. Clocking in at well under a half-hour, this album can hardly be accused of being padded with filler -- which means, sadly, that this was the best they could do at this time.
Clockworker isn't a horrible album, but it's so forgettable that it's best dismissed without undue attention.