***2020 was going to be a colossal year for CLOWNS. The Melbourne, Australian five-piece was locked into worldwide touring to support their 2019 full-length, and FAT debut, Nature/Nurture. The album included 11 blistering songs that veered from frantic punk to slower, more nuanced, and psychedelic-tinged rock. However, before the band could really roll out their epic touring plans, that nettlesome global pandemic hit, and the world was shut down. Luckily, Clowns are not one to rest on their laurels and harnessed their solitude to write music. The pause on being an active band allowed the group to record a batch of new songs, with two standing out as their favorites. “Does It Matter” is a hook-heavy raucous number that demonstrates the prowess of their current lineup, The b-side “Sarah” explores the dizzying highs and soul-destroying lows of love.