THE CLARKS

"Fast Moving Cars" (Razor & Tie; 2004)

Reviewed by Jeff Rogers

 

These guys have been around for twenty years. I must have been pulling a Rip Van Winkle in the Catskills to miss them. They have an alternative sound with great guitars; nothing that blasts your hair back but good, solid playing. It's good driving music, hence the album title.

This band originated at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) and they have a great following. They've played on The Late Show With David Letterman, toured with 3 Doors Down, OAR and John Mayer and have generally been a staple of Indiana, Pennsylvania.

Their lyrics are kind of depressing. They write about love lost, addiction and general forms of frowning on life. The music, when upbeat, mirrors the lyrics. When it's slowed down and broody, the lyrics reflect it. The Clarks sing about drunkenness a lot; I guess a band that started in a public coed university has plenty of material.

The best songs are: "Hell On Wheels," "Anymore," "Shimmy Low," "Blue," "She's Says She Don't Miss Me," "Gypsy Lounge," and "You Know Everything."

The Clarks: Scott Blasey: lead vocals, electric & acoustic guitars; Robert James: electric & acoustic guitars, vocals, tight, white, OP corduroy shorts; Greg Joseph: bass guitar, vocals; Dave Minarik: drums, vocals, various welding torches.

For more information, check out http://www.clarksonline.com.  

Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

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Revised: 15 Apr 2024 15:20:29 -0400.