| Here is yet another up
and coming band that defies categorization (though some
would like to call them alt-country, I can hardly see how!).
Brooklyn, New York's ClemSnide (by way of their original Boston
roots), fronted by guitarist-vocalist-songwriter
Eef Barzelay, is
a broad and wondrous amalgamation of moods and musical territories.
In the opening number, Evil vs. Good,
multi-instrumentalist Pete Fitzpatrick
rosins up the bow to give the banjo(!) a ten-minute tickle, coaxing
an altogether new sound out of an already-underutilized instrument.
"I buried our love in the backyard,"
singer Barzelay then wails in the refrain to All Green...suggesting
it is perhaps responsible for the lush and velvety lawn. Then, with
a distinct country twang, he recites the refrain to There is Nothing,
and poignantly points out that there are "so many troubled people in this
word, with troubled thoughts and angry eyes..." --- isn't that the truth,
and he sings it like he's lived it!
In the more than a dozen tunes which follow,
Barzelay and the band ride the range, break hearts, ponder the meaning of
life and more, all with rare wit and unique style. But conspicuously
absent from the repertoire was their hit Moment In The Sun
(the 2001-2002 them to the NBC-TV |
|
series Ed). Maybe they felt that
everyone had heard it already, though I would have enjoyed hearing it
again. Nonetheless, they more than made up for its absence with
tunes from their more recent album, The Soft Spot.
And for those who don't watch the show, they were
probably none the wiser as the eclectic and innovative mix of offerings,
by itself, made for a rich and worthwhile musical tour. Very nice
indeed!
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