Thursday, September 27, 2007

Clinic Review

Clinic ( not published...)

I missed deadline.

Clinic

Last Saturday, the Middle East stage filled up with four men in surgical masks, dressed in scrubs and top hats. Not your typical indie show, but Clinic is not your typical indie band. It was a little after 11:30 when the Liverpudlian quartet took the stage to play fast organ-driven punk not wasting any time to build momentum. Their fans knew what to expect when they got on stage— well-calculated tunes and some English etiquette. With their newest album, Visitations out (since October) we see a stunning return to form-- pleasingly unhinged sound and numinous lyrics. We hail Clinic for their steadiness in creating gratifying tunes that combine genres from surf to primitive punk.

Clinic's set was an electric mix of songs from their acclaimed 2000 debut Internal Wrangler (The Return of Evil Bill, 2/4, Porno) to their radio hit, Walking with Thee. Front man, Ade Blackburn stared out over the heads of his audience with a sincere expression as he sang Animal/Human while drummer, Carl Turney gave the right dosage of cowbell. Although watching Clinic's performance generally delighted fans, the songs they played off their newest album, weren't immediately recognizable. The band has a distinctive sound that blends in with much of their other albums. Honestly, Clinic by nature can't sound much different than their previous albums with their familiar blend of unusual instruments (melodica, flute, clarinet). For indie fans, Clinic advances the scene, and that says more than most bands out there.

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