Giacomo D'Attorre - lead singer of Clever Square - has been through a lot of late. With his band. In his personal life. Even just with the state of the world. This fire has fuelled Clever Square's 2022 record 'Secret Alliance,' eleven tracks that explore feelings of frustration, disillusionment, and disconnection, and chronicle what it's like to be swept along by a world that "gets noisier everyday". All of this is perfectly framed by Clever Square's shuffling, quirky indie, and cute melodies. Soft and worn around the edges, like the perfect flannel shirt, there's a gentle, shambling quality to the music; "blue collar", D'Attorre calls it. Guitar lines gently bloom, Fender Rhodes organ is sprinkled throughout, and the acoustic strumming sounds easy and unhurried.