Room of Clons marks the next step in the evolution of The Cowboys. It’s the only natural way to go for a band who already turned in a near-perfect album last year with The Bottom of a Rotten Flower. The new album once again comes to us via Feel It Records and stretches across the straight-forward pop of “Susie Susie” and the Tom Waits-ditties like “Ninety Normal Men” to something that almost sounds like The High Llamas. There’s the odd note of familiarity here and there, such as the rollicking “The Human Puzzle” but mostly this is a showcase of how far the group are able to push their unique songwriting. It’s an ambitious album that will reward repeated listens.
