The Clean: Anthology
By Shaun Chait
This new compilation from The Clean is a two CD affair with a mammoth 46 tracks spanning a significant part of this literally legendary band's career. Credited as the act that kicked off Flying Nun and 'the Dunedin sound', The Clean core three of Kilgour, Kilgour and Scott have also featured in too many key NZ acts to name. Often compared to artists like The Velvet Underground, The Clean long ago reached the stage where more likely, bands are compared to them. This double whammy kicks off with the seminal Tally Ho. From there we are taken for a leisurely stroll through the band's back catalogue, stopping along the way to admire two key features. The first is the cottage garden with it's variety of upbeat, quirky, off-centre pop oddities. Here you will find specimens like Anything Could Happen, Billy Two, and the popular Beatnik of the songy singalong family. The other feature is the vast open plains of sonic guitar swept fields, where the more exotic exhibits like Point That Thing Somewhere Else, At The Bottom and Fish lie. The production values vary, but mostly it's all gloriously lo-fi. Anyone looking for ideas could take a few pointers - the educated music listeners' Xmas best of.
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