Alt-pop quartet The Gift are back with their new single, ‘Clinic Hope’. It’s the second single from their highly anticipated forthcoming album, which sees them collaborate once again with Brian Eno. It has already received support from BBC 6 and appears on their latest music playlist.
‘Clinic Hope’ strengthens the group’s newly developed experimental sound. The lengthy track kicks off immediately with an addictive synth sound over an earworm drum beat. Once the vocals kick in, they glide effortlessly over the track, creating an electro pop offering.
The instrumental sections during the track allow the listener to lose themselves in The Gift’s magical musical world. Just when you think the track is coming to an end, the beat kicks in once again. However, at the 4-minute mark, the upbeat song takes its final turn, offering a different, slower beat which winds out the song nicely.
‘Clinic Hope’ is the perfect track to eradicate those January blues. Press play, and get ready to let loose.
Grammy-nominated producer Eno was involved with the music and production of this track. He also added his expertise to the band’s keyboardist Nuno Gonçalves’ unique writing skills. Speaking of the inspiration behind ‘Clinic Hope’, Eno said: “The idea for these lyrics came from remembering a brief meeting with Colombian artist Fernando Bottero’s daughter Lina Bottero. When she smiled, it was like the sun coming out. She’s the inspiration for the girl in this song. I think it’s the fastest song I’ve ever worked on…fleet is probably the right word.”
Vocalist Sónia Tavares explains that the track “deals with adoration. Someone contemplates a girl and marvels at her joie de vivre. A fantasy of marriage, happiness for life, hope when everything else fails, clinic hope.”
Gonçalves adds his technical skill into the mix, explaining that the “electronic sound pulsates throughout the track at 189 BPM”, conjuring images of flashing neon lights from a club in the band’s hometown of Alcobaça.
‘Clinic Hope’ is the follow up to ‘Love Without Violins’, which was also co-written and produced by Eno. It garnered support from numerous outlets, including The Independent, Paste Magazine, and BBC 6Music.
The Gift are arguably Portugal’s biggest musical export, and have also cemented their international status. They have proven themselves to be a tour de force on the live circuit, touring the world and sharing stages with the likes of Arcade Fire, Portishead and The Flaming Lips.
2017 looks set to be another great year for The Gift. Delivering music through their own label, La Folie, allows them to look after every aspect of their career, including putting on live visual spectacles. The band will be one of the main acts performing at Eurosonic 2017 and have been confirmed for SXSW. They will also be releasing their next album, which has been co-written and co-produced by Eno.
‘Clinic Hope’ is available to download now.