It’s pretty surprising to have the band bio included in your press materials written by The Old 97’s Rhett Miller. It’s even more surprising once you realize John Dufilho, frontman and songwriter behind the decidedly punk rock band Clifffs, has also worked for years with Miller, who’s Americana band sounds absolutely nothing like Clifffs. And that’s part of the beauty of this Texas band’s LP, Panic Attack, it really sounds nothing like Dufilho’s work with his previous outfits Cantina or even The Deathray Davies.
The band is a brilliantly sloppy, often times poppy mix of contradictions. At times they sound aggressive and then quickly retreat to a more laid back stance. Because they move across the musical map, the band is never dull or repetitive. Somewhere between New Wave and classic punk rock, the Clifffs have decided to take up the entire highway rather than stick to their lane.
At 13 tracks, the band hues closely to The Ramone’s trademark get in and get out quickly school of songwriting, with most songs hovering around the two-minute mark. Panic Attack manages to somehow be impressively unique and strangely familiar at the same time.
Clifffs – Panic Attack/We Know Better Records/2020