Customer Reviews

Internal Wrangler

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I first came across Clinic when they supported Radiohead on their three gigs in the summer of 2000. Clinic didn't really manage to "steal the show", but they incontrovertibly appeared like a band that's worth checking out. The utilization of so many instruments & sounds, the rawness of their songs, & mostly their brevity- Something pretty exceptional within the neoalternative British scene (I for instance cannot bear Bent or Elbow- After the first thirty seconds of a song by any of them I always feel like falling asleep, & it's not merely a simile). So, based on the good impression that gig gave me & on "The Second Line", the most wellknown single off of this album (Proportionately of course) I decided to purchase Internal Wrangler. On my first listen I was bewildered by the deliberately archaic artwork (The entire thing looks more like a record than a compactdisc), Ade Blackburn's peculiar vocals & the harkingback instrumentations, which customarily on this album consist on light guitarriffs & what appears to be synths & drummachines from the late 1970's (Could they be jeering the electronic influences virtually every artist/act includes in their songs nowadays? I don't think so, but it sure works well here). The album sorta creeped me out & nearly made me not wanna touch it ever again. However on repeated listens the album opens up, kinda like vintage wine- The tracks, no matter how eccentric & purposefully dated they appear, are all in point of fact compelling, enchanting & on occasion ("Earth Angel", "Distortions", "Goodnight Georgie") inebriating. The eeriness & intermittent abrasiveness of Clinic's hallmark sound manages to spice up what otherwise would've been considered as merely another indie album influenced by 1960's prepunk bands & early twentieth century New Orleans jazz (As the album's artwork also alludes). & let's not forget that splendid brevity again- This album takes merely 31:06 minutes to listen to, so you have nothing to fear about ending up with Grandaddyesque selfindulgence (I seriously can't believe that Clinic will ever record a fifteenminute song with the same line over & over again, merely arranged differently each time it comes). "The Return Of Evil Bill", "Internal Wrangler", "The Second Line", "C.Q.", "T.K.", "Hippy Death Suite" & "2/4" could all be superior demonstrative singles in the British indie scene, kinda like telling the critics "Hey, we can do it much better". & Clinic CAN do it much better so you'll better give them a chance. Who knows, they just might be the next representatives of the genre.

I picked up all of Clinic's releases on a trip to the UK in 2000, after hearing them on the John Peel show. Their first full album, "Internal Wrangler", is one of the freshest rock releases of the last couple of years. While their influences aren't anything out of the ordinary (you will hear bits of the Velvets, 13th Floor Elevators and Suicide among others), what they do with them certainly is. This is a very dense, beautiful and hypnotic record. Clinic has a fine ear for sound and melody, and makes every second of this record count. I'm sure many listeners will not make it past the off kilter vocal style, which at times has a Peter Lorre quality to it, and that's really a shame, because groups like this don't show up very often. Listen to this one on headphones if you really want to lose yourself.

. . . who have crashed in an alley somewhere behind the knees of a 21st century urbia where no one notices until they fall in with the gutter crawlers and divide time making noise on the wreckage of their craft and scrounging to feed the monkey. Strung out aliens would sound like this, no doubt. . .

I listened to it once, interesting. I listened again, damn good. I listened yet again, amazing. This album is addictive like an itch. Punk+RadioHead+Rockabilly? I dunno but I like it a lot. The point is these lads seem to have music that emanates from another universe--yea, I know, vauge, but so is the sound. It has certain pop qualities like Beatles-esqe catchiness, but then the songs have an insane chugging quality. I swear a few of these tracks sound like freight trains speeding through a foggy night; you see a light you hear a roar and then it's gone.

Internal Wrangler by Liverpool's Clinic sounds so much like a 60's band that, except for vocal ID, they could pass for Iron Butterfly or any of the other "where are they now?" psychedelic bands. Normally, this type of thing would drive me crazy, but there's such playfulness here, and enough of a modern overlay to these fourteen fragments, that I'm willing to believe these aren't just four boys jerking off to nostalgia. It might actually be a distillation of who they are. Artsy, for certain. With something to say - who knows? But from the nasty rockabilly of "The Return of Evil Bill" to the dreamer's lullaby "Goodnight Georgie", each song offers an fascinating aural fillip or two that keeps me coming back. Content, I hope, will follow.

Great band with a an original sound and infectious attitude. This disk has a few great tracks but is surprisingly short (very short). Distortions & 2nd Foot Stomp are worth buying it for, although there are several tracks where Clinic just seem to be messing around. It's production is very indie, which adds to the charm a bit, but it's not a cheap price for what you get. Overall - this is a band that should only get better.

I was reading spin magazine's end of the year awards, and naturally radiohead one every single one just about...and then they interviewed the band themselves and asked for their opinions...i think on thom's and ed's...this was on as the best album, or top 5 album...and i was determined to get it...i searched throughout the music stores in my town and came up empty handed...but alas...i was going on a trip to the uk in a few months...and i finally landed in gatwick and i was shocked to find that no one in london had the cd...and less even knew who the band was...but finally i made my way to dublin and finally found the damn thing...and i listened to it...unconventional to say the least...but thats the way music should be...new to people...i dont hear any radiohead in them either, although they opened for them a few times...but a few listenings just like kid a and you will be hooked...only thing is the songs are to short...which might be a good thing...i dont know...pick it up for yourself

Basically, what we have here is an eclectic mix which works on a grand scale. A style which should appeal to fans of all types of music. I myself listen to metal, noise, punk, dance etc, from Merzbow, Naplam Death to Aphex Twin and LFO. This album complements all these perfectly and sits proudly among my collection. Excellant female vocals, lovely melodies, simple, yet effective tunes turn this into an absolute winner! One of the best albums I have heard for some time and should be part of anyone's CD collection.

Wow. At last a british band shows some spirit and produces some prime geek rock. Internal wrangler is a fine slice of alternative rock in the tradition set by the likes of DEVO and Velvet Underground.All songs are strong and the zesty feel of the likes of the title track and others give some energy to the proceedings. It would be nice if their variety expanded but all in all this is a treat for those tired of formulaic rock or repetitive dance music.

Although Clinic initially appear insufferably mannered, 'Internal Wrangler' is just about inspired enough to work. It's still very self-consciously whimsical, though - from the meaningless, Cocteau Twins-esque lyrics to the tremulous lead singer to the cha-cha-cha drume machine - but the bizarre diversity of the set makes such NME-friendly posing forgivable. Sounding like a cross between Babybird, Tortiose and a random indie band from 1995, this is hard to classify - one track appears to the Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata with crunches, whilst the short instrumental filler tracks are interesting enough to work on their own. Mostly the songs are vocal, and evoke a mood rather than a specific portrait. Try them before they go the way of Gay Dad.