Search - Clem Snide :: End of Love

MELANCHOLIC OPTIMISM!

blucheez | GA | 06/02/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ghost of Fashion was recommended to me by someone who knows how I love violins! I downloaded most of the songs from it, burnt them, and happily carried them around for ages before I got the brilliant idea to explore more Clem Snide. Man! All I can say is what *took* me so long!? But this cd in particular makes me so happy! I can add it to the handful of discs that I look forward to every song on. Nope--no song skipping here, although I do have my favorites.



Lyrically--it's good. Not as much obscureness as Ghost of Fashion, but still a few odd moments. A couple spots are a bit contrived, but nothing that makes your teeth hurt. All forgivable in the big picture. Perhaps the most manipulative moment is in "Made for TV Movie", which is almost an intentional tear-jerker referencing Lucille Ball (how cool is that?). A child sings the "La la la la's" along with Eef, and you gotta wonder if your heartstrings were mistakenly plucked in place of the guitar strings for a minute there. But somehow, it works. It's a pleasure you might not want to share with your more cynical mates.



Musically, it's innovative and solid. This "Alt Country" movement is the antidote to Guitar-Bass-Drum for me. And I loove guitar. But sometimes it just needs freshening with banjo, violin, vibraphone, saxophone, and definitely--trombone! The instrumentation is fresh and optimistic.



The songs range from the out-and-out funny of the boot-scooting, rollicking "pub hit", "Weird"; to the more polished, pop, and infectious "Fill Me With Your Light". (You can see the video for this if you visit the Clem Snide website.)



So, my fave three, in no particular order:



FUNNY: The "Latin-esque" "Something Beautiful". Never. Ever. Has another song done so much toward making being passive-aggressive this much fun!



MELANCHOLY: I've heard "Collapse" is about the death of Eef's mother, but don't know any details or for sure. The components of a disaster however, are definitely woven throughout lyrically. The banjo winding throughout, the imagery (can we have another word for this, please?) eg. "a grass roots initiative based upon sharing and trust...went into production to harness the power of dust...", the plaintive vocal ... a sad beauty.



SUNNY: I'm completely in love with "When We Become" with its strings, lilting keys ... that poignant violin solo that with its optimistic warmth reminds me of the Leonard Cohen lyric "...the sun pours down like honey..." I really feel that rich golden sun in this song. It is just one of those uplifting beautiful numbers -- and hey!-- it takes a lot to get me out of my preference for dark and emotionally painful! Congratulations Clem Snide for doing that! I'm going to get some more!"

Now That I'm Found, I Miss Being Lost

jeffrey christian | brooklyn ny | 11/19/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Nothing groundbreaking on album number 5, and that's a beautiful thing, because if it's one thing we rely upon with Eef, it's his absolute sincerity, deadpan surrealism and steadfast belief. The dichotomy of Brooklyn and Nashville, where he was rooted and sojourned to, trickles in and out of his lyrics, as does loss [he lost his mother this past year, as did his wife], confusion, awareness, and inevitably, love. It's a rock n' stroll by the deftest songwriter since Randy Newman. Words to live by: `Now that I'm found I miss being lost'. My grade: A-"

I Clem Snide I know and love has returned!

indyindiemusicfan | Indianapolis, IN USA | 04/04/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I first became aware of this band during their tour opening for Ben Folds, and subsequently purchased 2001's 'The Ghost Of Fasion,' which quickly became one of my favorite releases of the time. As with many fans, I was a bit disappointed with 'Soft Spot' upon it's release, but I'm happy to say they've bounced back quite nicely with 'End Of Love.'



This is an ideal starting point for potential fans, as it combines most of Clem Snide's best qualities into what I would call, if not their best, certainly their most accessible album. The title track, "Fill Me With Your Light," "Something Beautiful," "Made For TV Movie," and "Jews For Jesus Blues" are among the band's best songs ever, and the arrangements and production are wonderful throughout. There are usually a few songs I prefer to skip on Clem Snide albums, but 'End Of Love' is really very solid all the way through. In this regard, I will only say that I think most of the best material comes on the second half of the album.



Overall, a great return to form for Clem Snide! This will likely be one of my favorite releases this year.

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