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02 February, 2010
'Mister Pop' by The Clean
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Sharply crafted vignettes of pop perfection, this latest offering from those mainstays of the eclectic Dunedin music scene, The Clean's Mister Pop takes the listener on a journey through a set of tunes that delight in their droney guitar pop sound, full of vibration and slide guitar. Eight years since the release of their last album, Getaway, the Kilgour Bros. and Bob Scott have done it again. The members of The Clean are three rather diverse individuals and since 2001's Getaway they have had more time to pursue their personal musical paths. Bob Scott still drives the Bats and the Moreporks and has collaborated with other local bands in Dunedin such as Haunted Love. David is performing with the Heavy 8's and recently made an album this year of Sam Hunt’s poems set to music titled “Falling Debris”. Hamish has established himself in the New York music scene, one project being the group Mad Scene.

An ethereal electro pop mix replete with the backing vocals of the members of Haunted Love on some songs, their material still retains that crackly lo-fi sound of their earlier material. “In the Dreamlife You Need A Rubber Soul” (what a great song title), their single off the album, supplies catchy vocals and a great chorus riff but slips into something much more dreamlike with the slide guitar instrumental. There are diverging and yet conducive elements at work on this album, with one song having an eclectic mix of the sounds of the NZ bush, running streams and birdsong. An example of those elements at work is the song “Tensile”, having a heavier beat, voice effects, and with a pitch-altered keyboard sound feeling almost gothic , it is very groove-oriented with a possible dollop of influence from the likes of Kraftwerk. Some of that could be seen as a departure from their jangly pop sound but more as a development in their work.


The Clean are still the masters of pop, hence the title Mister Pop.


By Aaron Kearney
Posted by rob

Posted by rob
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