Clinic - Funf (Domino)
3/5
'Funf', a B-sides album from seasoned genre-defying loons Clinic, offers a buffet of creamy career frivolities and festering musical fuzz chunks that have been snuggled next to "the good stuff" on singles over the last ten years.
Feeding like an influence hungry succubus; this 'buyer beware' album comes across as more of an in-joke than a fully realized collection. Meandering willy-nilly between screaming hardcore ('Disillusion') and sine-wave balladsmithery ('Christmas'), 'Funf' casually maintains an infectious charm and musical wit that holds that whole collection together like a big sticky strip.
It's the dirty end of a cocktail party, it's casual dinner jacket punk, and it owes as much to The Doors and Roy Orbison as it does to The Buzzcocks - but lovers of passionate and playful music will be gratified by a cheeky listen and pretentious arty types will enjoy the dissonant and sinister undertones behind the frivolous exterior.
It's not all glory and b-side jackpots though, as a few tracks miss the mark ('Golden Rectangle', for instance - no need, no need...) and end up sounding more like a deep and dirty shag-pile carpet in a bad cruise ship than a celebration of cerebral dank and caustic charm, but it's ultimately forgivable amongst a collection of what is essentially music made for the joy of the craft.
Stream four tracks from 'Funf' HERE.
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