Personality Cult is the awesome new post-punk project from the LA-based artist James Clifford. He will release his three-song self-titled EP on June 1.
With vocal similarities to Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan, Clifford deliberately employs rough production techniques to add a punk flavor to new wave-inspired songwriting. Think if New Order had attended the sessions for Raw Power and decided to make a similar sounding record, or if The Smiths abandoned guitars and got into Kraftwerk. Propulsive drum machines clash with abrasive guitar lines, while Clifford’s evocative baritone keeps everything balanced with lyrics that touch on isolation, youth, and finding hope in obscure places. The three tracks on the EP are purposely unpolished and compact, designed to impact the listener on a visceral level.