There's pop smarts and there's pop that's smart and then there's Olney Clark. To say that this duo is a genius of one sort or another really isn't to far from the truth. Written during Clark's Ph.D. in algorithmic algebraic geometry in Edinburgh and over an additional two months in Los Angeles, Olney Clark is the sort of album that's whipsmart without even trying. But with all that smart pop comes a sense of isolation and throughout their third album, Olney Clark displays flourishes of classic sweeping pop ala the Walker Brothers as they sing of the intellectual and and emotional solitude that surrounds him.
A beautiful record that's served well by all this emotional struggle, Olney Clark finds happiness in the simplest forms and is only too happy to tell you about them. In fact, one could almost look at this album as the source of happiness for Clark is constantly on the lookout for. It's a rich tapestry of sound that spares no expense in being dramatic, lush, and absolutely gorgeous. Olney Clark is as stirring as the Highlands themselves and as reflective as British weather often can be. It's a record that's searching for inner peace and joy and is thankful when it finds it.
Mixing easy listening with pop and folk, Olney Clark is a mesmerizing effort that utilizes more strings than a symphony and slow pacing all to well. It's an album that plods around as if always in deep in thought and I guess when part of your band have a Ph. D. in maths it's to be expected. Introspective, symphonic, and thought provoking Olney Clark is an album that's as fascinating as it is good. After listening to Olney Clark one can't help but want to buy this duo a beer down at the pub and reassure him that everything is going to be fine. Of course Clark will be making seven figures somewhere with that degree and I'm pretty sure at that point, all kinds of happiness will relieve his solitude.
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