The Clark's Let It Go album is one of the greatest (relatively) undiscovered gems of recent memory. Pittsburgh's favorite local band, the group has been releasing popular discs for 17 years, but Let It Go is their career high point, and one they're unlikely to match-they're as good here as any band around.
Let It Go, like all the Clark's work, is a collection of up tempo, folk tinged rockers, filled with some incredibely catchy melodies you'll hear on any album. Like The Red Hot Chili Peppetrs "By The Way," it shows that good bands tend to only get better with time.
Tracks:
1 Snowman: the opening track captures the Clark's style perfectly. You'll have this melody in your head for quite a while. 4/4
2 I'm a Fool slows the tempo down ever so slightly, and has a somewhat more country'ish vibe to it, but doesn't lose the energy of Snowman in the process. It's even richer in harmonic content. 3.5/10
3 Better Off You was a gigantic hit in the Pittsburgh region, probably the biggest hit of the year. It's the Clarks at their most rockin', with another terrific chorus and a nice guitar solo. 4/4
4 Born Too Late is one of the most lyrically clever rock songs in recent history, as the Clarks muse about missing out on many of the great minds of human history, from Vincent Van Gough to Jesus. Another incredible song. 4/4
5 Let It Go is the Clarks at their fastest. It's great 3 chord folksy rock music. Once again, if you hear this song, you'll have the melody in your head. 3.5/4
6 Chasin Girls is very much a Pittsburgh track, as the opening lyrics reflect ("I've been chasin' girls/I've been drinking beer/I've been getting stoned right here.") It's a funny, rockin' send off of pop culture that has no room for a folksy four piece from the Steel City. This is a track to have a good time to. 3.5/4
7 Flame switches gears to a more reflective mood for the Clarks. The Clarks aren't really a balad, but this song comes close to it. It's a different groove for the band, and they sound quite good with it. 3.5
8 Butterflies and Airplanes, like Better Off Without You, shows the Clarks at their most clever lyrically. It's a very tight song with a terrific chorus and nice harmonies. 4/4
9 Think of England has some heavier, distorted guitars worked into the folksy rock formua. It's the Clarks sounding a bit like Lynard Skynard but maintaining their own vibe. This one has a nice little solo to it too-they're not Stevie Ray Vaughn but their occasional solos fit in quite well. 4/4
10 Highwire is a bouncy track that is perhaps the most poppy of the album. It's probably the most like Rusted Root, another Pittsburgh band which happened to gain some national acclaim. 4/4
11 The Letter is the most adventurous vocally (with a nice vocal slide in the chorus), and it really pays off-this is a great track, immensely memorable. 4/4
12 If Memory Serves finds the Clarks at their most country'ish, and is a very nice song-the type of song that never grows tired in a mix. It's a great breakup track, with the Clarks at their most relaxed and, perhaps, best. No better way to end an album. 4/4
Admittedly, this is a polarizing album-you'll either love it or hate it, literally. Those looking for prog rock insanity will definately be bored, but if you're a fan of folksy rock, this is a classic album. Yes, it's that good-the consistency of the material is mind boggling. There are no good songs. There are no average songs. There's really good songs and there's great songs.
I bought the album a few years back, and recently popped it in after a few months of exodus, and it hasn't lost one bit of adoration from me. This is one of my favorite discs.
