Photo by Peri Orlando

The Clydes will celebrate the release of their Mint 400 Records full-length debut, “So the Story Goes,” at the Oct. 30 Happy Mondays with Quality Living and C.R. and the Degenerates at The Wonder Bar in Asbury Park.

New Brunswick-based alterna-popsters The Clydes make beautiful songs with beautiful vocals and beautiful playing. For what they lack in soul, variety and intensity, they make up for in intelligence, atmospheric effects, and catchy, clever rhymes.

On their latest LP, “So the Story Goes,” I especially like the rollicking pine of “Holly Speaks,” the earnest, contemplative strum of “Jueves,” and the stirring trumpet of frequent Mint 400 collaborator Erin Lockett on the hauntingly acoustic “Melody,” whose lyric inspired the LP’s title. Lockett’s tasteful, yet emotional playing also adds to “Jueves,” which is Spanish for Thursday. 

A follow-up to the Mint 400 debut EP, “Comeback Charlie,” which also was produced by label owner Neil Sabatino of Fairmount, as well as the recently self-released collection of outtakes, “Lucid Garden,” the 10-song "So The Story Goes" is the kind of mellow record that’s good to chill with a glass of wine snuggled to your gal or guy. You can get nice and cozy with The Clydes when they celebrate the release of “So the Story Goes” on Oct. 30 at Happy Mondays with Quality Living and C.R. and the Degenerates at The Wonder Bar in Asbury Park. 

The Hunterdon County-based jam band Albert Savage will celebrate the release of their latest CD, Savage on the High Seas, on Nov. 11 at River Horse Brewing Co. in Ewing. Formerly Mike Frank & Friends, the band recently was featured in a Relix magazine sampler at relix.com/media/popAudio.

Bob Makin is the reporter for em>www.MyCentralJersey.com/entertainment and a former managing editor and still a contributor to The Aquarian Weekly, which launched this column in 1988. Contact him at [email protected]. Like Makin Waves at www.facebook.com/makinwavescolumn.