I was thrilled when word came that Eef Barzelay was getting the Clem Snide (Official / Myspace) gang back together in 2009, after a break of a few years. While Barzelay’s solo work is solid, it just didn’t have the same zip that I have always recognized in the earlier Clem Snide albums. “Moment in the Sun”, from their 2002 EP of the same name, is a great example of the dry wit that defies mere quirk and actually makes a point while being cleverly direct. With that tune, as well as many others from Clem Snide’s catalog, self-importance is called out and questioned in such a frank manner that it’s foolish not to see it their way. That same candid and wryly comedic spirit is quite evident in their latest record, Meat of Life.
Barzelay’s loose, ramshackle vocals are the perfect passenger for the garage-folk vibe Clem Snide continues to throw down with great success. With each raw electric guitar strum, it’s clear that these guys get exactly what they want to be and make no false steps into reinvention, simply for reinvention’s sake. “Wal-Mart Parking Lot” isn’t merely the stand-out track from the new album, but it is another case of Barzelay targeting a pop-culture touchstone to paint a picture that isn’t exactly what it initially seems to be. When you really listen to Meat of Life, it’s likely that you may see that there are varying levels of quirk that can actually seem to be more logical than whimsical.
LISTEN: “Wal-Mart Parking Lot” – Clem Snide
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