How To Listen

This this genius?

I have a Soft Spot for Clem Snide. I first heard them back in 2002 on Conan O’Brien’s Late Night Show (a simpler, happier time). They played “Moment in the Sun” from their album the Ghost of Fashion. Megan and I frequently played a game where we would make a snap judgement on the merits of a musical event called “Is this genius or is this stupid”. (Outkast: genius, The Killers: genius, Gwen Stefani’s solo carrer: stupid, etc.). We decided that Clem Snide was genius.

At first, you will say, “You are fools! Listen to that guy! He can hardly sing! Plus, he sounds drunk!” and you would be right. Eef Barzalay is a horrible, horrible, singer. As is Bob Dylan. In fact, in an American Idol style singing contest, Eef wins. Every time. So, it’s not that bad.

But the Clem Snide’s appeal isn’t in the pitches or the timbre, it’s in the songwriting. And Eef isn’t any old songwriter who slaps together an inspirational poem to a four-on-the-floor drum-machine and cashes his checks. He carefully places each word metrically and iambically to give his songs just the right feel.

Then there’s the lyrics themselves. The best Clem Snide songs are the ones where the lyrics take the most unexpected twists and turns. Eef is a master of the parallel cliché in which he begins a phrase that everyone knows the ending to, then ends the phrase not with that expected ending, but with the end (or beginning) of a different familiar phrase. The result is a wonderful, surrealist, juxtaposition.

The new album drops on February 23. You can listen to the whole thing this week via NPR’s website. If you are new to Clem Snide I suggest the aforementioned albums The Ghost of Fashion and Soft Spot.