CD Review: The Cliks – Dirty King (Silver Entertainment/Tommy Boy)

There is a really interesting story behind this hard rocking band. The band formed in the middle of the decade in Toronto and immediately began gaining a ton of notice for two things: their blistering stage show and that the band’s lead singer is a transgendered male (singer Lucas Silveira used to be a female) who is leading an all-female band. While the band’s brand of sleazy hard rock is what first got them to the dance, the press has started to pick up the latter element (especially the gay and lesbian press) and has begun to deservedly hype the band. I say deservedly, because this band has an incredible poppy, intensely rocking sound (I would compare them to The Pretenders, Joan Jett and even Garbage but harder rocking than all three) with a retro rock element in their sound that harkens back to ’80’s pop of the Pat Benatar and Quarterflash variety but with a modern kick to it and definitely up-to-the-minute production values. In other words, this band has a retro-sound with a modern feel which seems to be very popular among today’s music-buying public (or what’s left of them) and therefore could turn out to be a big-selling phenomenon, if handled correctly. Lest you think I relayed the more personal information about the lead singer to stir up buzz about the band, let me assure you that I was not. I am merely laying the cards on the table so when I say I like the band’s music for what it is I can say it knowing we all have the full story of the band as no doubt most of the press will use this as their “hook” when writing about the band or critiquing their music.

Let me say this much: before I listened to the CD I had no idea about the background of the lead singer. It is also not mentioned in the small amount of press material I received for the album – I discovered the info through research on the band’s background. I must say it is somewhat disconcerting to hear the vocals on the album,.which sound very much female, while knowing the singer is actually a male. That said, the album is very strong with many elements heard in bands such as No Doubt, Pink and various other top-selling contemporary acts today. Yes, I know I am referring to female-led bands and acts but if someone were to listen to the album or hear the song on the radio and not see a picture of the band or know the story, they would undoubtedly think the artist was female. I could see that being a problem for a larger label as the misconception may end up confusing the general public.

Still, I am an unabashed fan of the band. The songs are top-notch rockers that are very well-written featuring an up-to-the-second sound which would no doubt be popular on the radio. I heard several songs which I think would be hits or at least garner very good airplay. I wonder if the transgender aspect will ultimately hold them back, but that would definitely be a shame, as the music is on par with the most popular artists today. Very good stuff and I recommend this album for those of you who like uptempo pop/rock with a slightly retro sound.

Scott