KLOCKWORK COLLAGE ALBUM SPR RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 4, 2000 REVIEW: DECEMBER 19, 2000

Klockwork started out as a Depeche Mode cover band in Barcelona, and the influences can be heard here and there in their melodic ambitions. Songs like "Tell Me" and "Soul to Soul" aspire to achieve the same warm harmony of vocals and synthesizers that is the trademark of Depeche Mode. These moments are the best thing about "Collage". But Ferran Pagés is no David Gahan, and David Jornet isn't a musician of Martin Gore's calibre, so while their sound work is a bit more inventive than some contemporary electro bands, Klockwork have yet to record a really strong, engaging song with a lasting impact.
"Collage" flirts with electronic body music, even though the bleeps and bloops of traditional synthpop frequently turn up. While the choruses in a couple of songs are really good, the verses tend to be just tedious bridges between them.
The overall feeling of the music is melancholic, and the lyrics are laden with angst and longing for a deeper meaning. I hope Klockwork will find that spirituality, because they will need it to colour and enrich the songs of their next album.

MATTIAS HUSS