- Artist
- Clinic
- Label
- Domino
- Release date
- 18th June 2007
- Genre
- Indie
B-sides collection from mysterious Scouse psyche-punkers is deserving of an examination
Throughout their 10-year career, Clinic have been shrouded in mystery. A Fall-like critics' favourite with underground cult status, the Liverpudlian four-piece have always perpetuated their mystique with surgical mask-wearing, strange song titles and a peculiar mixing up of surf pop, Sixties girl groups and skewed psyche-rock. Despite such credentials, Clinic have also mysteriously never quite followed up the brilliance of debut album Internal Wrangler that got people hooked in the first place.
While Funf, a collection of B-sides from their steady flow of three-song singles, is unlikely to ensnare many new converts, it's not without its intriguingly diverse highlights. Opener The Majestic shimmers with Spector-esque symphonic beauty while Christmas and its haunting piano motifs alongside Ade Blackburn's paranoid vocals feels hard done by as a B-side. The same can be said for both The Castle and Lee Shan – their spooked out Velvet Underground on reverb overload atmospherics are classic Clinic moments. Elsewhere, Funf offers nothing beyond glimpses of Clinic's capabilities that can be found on album tracks and A-sides. For those new to the band, however, Funf points the way towards exciting discoveries to come.
More to try: Clinic: Internal Wrangler Archie Bronson Outfit: Derdang Derdang The Velvet Underground: White Light/White Heat The Beatles: The White Album
