Clever have only been snarling, slobbering and grinding since 2015, but they’re like the legacy, the apotheosis of the recent history of punk in Brisbane, featuring as they do members from such luminaries as Psy Ants, Per Purpose, Sewers and The Wrong Man. With such strong breeding going into the mix Clever bring a lot to every element of their sound. For something that fronts with such messy aggression it’s deceptive, even subtle - if such a thing is possible. The more carefully you listen the tighter this band sound.

A lot of people focus on frontman Mitch Perkins because he’s such a presence, especially live, but listening to Kewdi Udi I find myself attending more to the complex and angular harmonic structures (brutally off-kilter as they are) from Fred Gooch’s guitar. I think that may be my favourite single element of Clever, but I have to admit it’s matched, pound for pound, by Harry Byrne’s intricate but driving bass lines and Callum Gallety’s always surprising drumming, betraying his background as a jazz drummer.

Kewdi Udi is eight two minute pummelings, roaring at you around 200bpm. In these slices of ferocity it’s easy to miss everything that’s going on, though given that it’s all done in less than twenty minutes you shouldn’t find it too taxing to go back and pick it over for stuff you did miss. You will be rewarded and that’s pretty great, because in punk it’s often the reverse: when DIY ‘tude just can’t cover the cracks in the musical facade. You’ll be aided in your efforts by the sterling production from Blank Realm’s Luke Spencer. It’s quite surprising to notice the clarity with which you can pick out the individual components from the meltdown when you pay even a bit of attention. Damn, everything here is just...clever.

You thought the name was ironic, well it is, doubly so and the joke’s on you. Masquerading as another cruddy punk band, Clever, true to it’s name is producing some of the most accomplished and still, most punk sounds you’re likely to hear.

- Chris Cobcroft.