Search - Clem Snide :: Ghost of Fashion

Wonderful and weird

Rob Damm | 11/01/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ah, yet another band to be eternally mistaken for a person! Like Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson, Eef Barzelay is probably eternally doomed to at least occasionally be called by the name of his arcanely-monikered band.. Despair not. "Ghost of Fashion" makes it rather clear that Clem Snide IS, in fact, a band. whereas their last record, "Your Favorite Music", was a rather stripped-down vehicle for Eef's warped pontifications on love, loss, and frozen desserts, "Ghost" is obviously the work of a group of sonic visionaries. Finally, the off-kilter lyrics are complimented by equally inventive intsrumentation. Woozy waltzes, blurry ballads, cracked country and more all form the musical landscape. For instance, on "Long Lost Twin", while the singer muses "I feel like Elvis/Longing for his long-lost twin" the band churns out an almost-direct musical quote from "Suspiscious Minds". Clever, subtle references like that perfectly compliment Eef's inuendo-laced lyrics. Often compared to Will Oldham/Palace/et al, Clem Snide has almost definitely surpassed that comparison on "Ghost of Fashion". Put this up against Will's perfectly good "Ease on Down the Road",and you'll see that Clem Snide is currently operating on an entirely different plane. The most amazing thing is that the album never comes across as simply the smarmy, music-snob, pretense-fest it could have been. No, Clem Snide always manages to be genuine and genuinely affecting. This record is both overwhelmingly sad and funny... sometimes within the same song. For instance, "Joan Jett of Arc" sounds like something silly, but somehow manages to be a truly touching rumination on young love. "No one's more Happy Than you" is another twisted paean that managages to find a mainline to the heart with weird imagery. In fact, it's often as if Eef has tapped into some collective, pop-culture-consciousness to create these powerfully shambolic sagas of inexplicable longing and joy that seem at once familliar and strange. After listening through this album, you'll wonder how you ever lived without these songs, how you ever made sense of your life before Clem Snide. In all thier cracked and wheezing glory, they have created one of the true masterworks of this year."

Great summer album!

Rob | charleston, sc | 07/07/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'd only read about this band's previous album but never heard them until 'Ghost of Fashion' came out. I listened to it at the music store and bought it that day with just about all the money i had. Incredible sounds of joy and sometimes sorrow fill this rather artistic album. It's perfect for a sunny day or early morning with the sun still rising. Though probably the poppiest song, "Moment in the Sun" is no doubt my favorite, with the simple guitar rhythm and driving horns at the end and hopeful lyrics. It's not quite alt-country, and is more on the folk/indie rock side -- if you like Wilco or the Flaming Lips, you will love Clem Snide"

Clem Snide in Wisconsin

katie | Milwaukee, WI | 04/12/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was convinced by a friend to go see Clem Snide at the Miramar Theatre in Milwaukee, WI. I had never heard their music much less heard of them. They played with Jimmy's Comet and Mark Waldoch that night, and I must say it was the best [money] I've ever spent. I had no idea what to expect but walked away a huge fan. I even drove to Madison the next day to see them again. The music is AMAZING. Just when you think the song is gonna be slow, like "Don't Be Afraid of Your Anger," it turns out to be upbeat and silly. "Evil vs. Good" has some great horn and strings rifs, and "Moment in the Sun" makes me wanna sing along. "Long Lost Twin" cracks me up and makes me a little sad at the same time. I highly recommend listening to these guys. I didn't even know they existed and now I'm telling all my friends..."