“American. Guitar. Rock.”<\/p>\n
As I’ve recently discussed, sometimes the promo sheets are
\nright. In the case the quotee — Clarks bassist Greg Joseph —
\nnailed the essence of his band’s sound and ethos. This is
\nno-frills, meat-and-potatoes, big-hooks-and-sincere-lyrics rock and
\nroll, the kind of stuff that would make both a heartland rocker
\nlike John Mellencamp and an East Coast dreamer like Bruce
\nSpringsteen smile and nod.<\/p>\n
Geographically, the Clarks split the difference — their
\nstomping ground is Pittsburgh, where they have been regional stars
\nfor the better part of two decades, filling large halls and small
\narenas and selling 250,000 copies of their previous discs. This is
\nin fact a greatest hits album of sorts for the quartet (Joseph on
\nbass, Scott Blasey on guitar and vocals, Robert James on guitar and
\nvocals, and David Minarik Jr. on drums), even if they’ve never had
\na proper hit single outside their hometown.<\/p>\n
\nBetween Now And Then<\/i> is a treasure trove of songs that
\ncoulda-woulda-shoulda been hits. From the propulsive power-pop of
\n“Let It Go” (best line: “I’ve done some foolish things \/ But who
\ncan blame me?”) to the sincere anguish of “Hey You” (“The pain will
\ngo away \/ In another year or two \/ In a hundred years or two \/ In a
\nthousand years or two”), these guys prove again and again that they
\nare rock and roll craftsmen who love nothing better than matching a
\nstrong hook to a smart lyric.<\/p>\n
Though many of these songs have an earnestness that reminds me
\nof Jimmy Eat World, like Jimmy, the Clarks don’t lack edge. “On
\nSaturday” is a surprisingly upbeat and deliciously snide breakup
\nsong, and “Caroline” pours on the spite (“You can cauterize my
\nfeelings \/ With your flaming tongue, leave me reeling”) leading up
\nto the big kiss-off. On the other side of things, the mostly
\nacoustic “Penny On The Floor” (which received some radio play in
\nits day) shows a softer side of this group that’s equally
\nappealing.<\/p>\n
Lest there be any doubt what this band is all about, though,
\nthey include a pair of live cuts here that simply light up your
\nspeakers. “The Apartment Song” and audience favorite “Cigarette”
\nboth rock hard and invite head-bobbing sing-alongs (not to mention
\njealousy of the hometown fans who get treated to this stuff on a
\nregular basis).<\/p>\n
\nBetween Now And Then<\/i> includes 18 songs that span the Clarks’
\n17-year career, including three new cuts — notably the kickoff,
\nvery hooky rocker “Bona Fide.” It makes a great introduction to a
\nband that will have you asking yourself “Why haven’t I ever heard
\nof these guys before?” You have now.<\/p>\n