Clearance - At Your Leisure (2018)

Chicago’s Clearance mixes eras and styles with ease (you're likely to hear as much Parquet Courts as the Soft Boys, for instance) and the result is a focused but coolly off-the-cuff sound that appeals to both the record-collector/fanzine set and casual rock fans alike. After a string of self-released 7"s and tapes began circulating in 2013, the band released its debut LP Rapid Rewards via Tall Pat Records and Unsatisfied Records, earning praise and topping many best-of lists upon its 2015 release. Are You Aware—another 7" released on Tall Pat—followed in 2016. The LP was mastered by Total Control’s Mikey Young and recorded with The Hecks’ Dave Vettraino around Chicago at Jamdek Studios, Public House Recordings, and their own West Side practice space, which they share with Chicago stalwarts NE-HI and Deeper. At Your Leisure isn't just the sound of a band confidently finding its voice, it's a reflection of one part of a thriving and collaborative local music community.