I first ran across Clinic in some sorts of mainstream Alternative maga-zine that I had bought to read up on an interesting looking Strokes article. I was enthralled by a picture of Clinic who were wearing English colonial style jackets and doctor’s masks. The article described them as LL Cool J meeting The Velvet Underground... Just weird enough to make me remember them when it came down to CD buying time.
I got the singles collection first. It’s a collection of four EP’s released by two labels, Alladins Cave of Golf and Domino. I suppose Domino won out because this CD, as well as their full-length just has a Domino contact.... There are nine tracks here that pretty much are broken down much like you would expect singles to be broken down.... Five of the tracks represent the more dreamy Velvet Underground side of The Clinic, with the remaining falling.
somewhere in-between Stooges meets Suicide type Neoteric lunacy. The Clinic kinda exist in their own world, much like their English counterparts The Fall, and have mysterious song titles that make you ponder at their true meaning i.e. "I.P.C Subeditiors Dictate Our Youth", and do this trick and title their faster songs with initials i.e. "D.P." and "D.T.". The Singles collection is well rounded and really grows on you after a couple listens. It made me.... It made me rush down and pick up Internal Wrangler the following week.
It’s been awhile since I have heard anything real memorable from the UK. Well, as it would turn out, Clinic, accompanied with Bunny (more on them later) would signal that The Neoteric Punk/wave has hit the British Isles! Hurrah!