Album: Internal Wrangler

Song Title

Time

Voodoo Wop

Return of Evil Bill, The

Internal Wrangler

DJ Shangri-La

Second Line, The

C.Q.

T.K.

Earth Angel

Distortions

10)

Hippy Death Suite

11)

2nd Foot Stomp

12)

2/4

13)

[Untitled Track]

14)

Goodnight Georgie

Album: Internal Wrangler

Song Title

Time

Voodoo Wop

Return of Evil Bill, The

Internal Wrangler

DJ Shangri-La

Second Line, The

C.Q.

T.K.

Earth Angel

Distortions

10)

Hippy Death Suite

11)

2nd Foot Stomp

12)

2/4

13)

[Untitled Track]

14)

Goodnight Georgie

Performer Notes

Although there is much to admire, the real highlight of Clinic's INTERNAL WRANGLER is the voice of lead singer Ade Blackburn. While he's been compared to everyone from Lou Reed to Radiohead's Thom Yorke, none of the comparisons manage to do him any real justice. Blackburn's voice sets Clinic apart from the endless slew of Britpop bands that seem to hit it big on a regular basis; while the guitar, bass, and drums on the record are all solid, it's his vocals that provide the "love it or hate it" element. Blackburn's lyrics are often terrifyingly bleak: at one point, he sings "you cannot know how often/ I've pictured you in coffins/ my baby in a coffin." At other junctures, as on the track "The Second Line," he doesn't even try to craft a tale and simply mutters and mumbles over the music. INTERNAL WRANGLER is also not beset by the need for slick production or glossy perfection; there are plenty of little mistakes here and there, but they only serve to humanize the record, and leave more room for experimentation.

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone (8/16/01, p.106) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...They've created a new hybrid of bratty garage rock and whimsical sonic experimentation that delights in its own mutant energy..."

Spin (10/01, pp.130-1) - 9 out of 10 - "...As humbly addictive as a good Hebrew National...Rewind to indie-rock the way Mark E. Smith started it: reduced, smart, and dirty-sweet as used bubblegum."

Alternative Press (2/02, p.64) - Ranked #5 in AP's "25 Best Albums of 2001" - "...Eminently listenable schizophrenia..."

Magnet (12-1/02, p.79) - "...Great is great no matter the source, and INTERNAL WRANGLER is little short of brilliant....easily the maddest hatters since Teardrop Explodes..."