Clem Snide

Clem Snide have brought disparate themes and emotional contradictions together since 1991. Now, five albums and a few EPs into their career, they dance us to the End of Love in a gentle but steady driven manner. Clem Snide’s melancholic country is reminiscent of the Weakerthans; both bands take the best of rock and country and add a lyrical depth that distinguishes them from the plethora of bands who have adopted a similar sound. Singer Eef Barzelay’s voice is distinctly country, though in a more genuine way than the faux-southern twang of today’s popular country. Clem Snide will appeal more to fans of Neko Case and Corb Lund than it will to those of Garth and Shania. But Clem Snide divulge more emotional depth than any of these artists; Barzelay’s storytelling is a series of observations and anecdotes that express dread, remorse, and resignation. However, redemption is ushered in with wit, wordplay, and an underlying appreciation for the pain, chaos, and strange beauty of the human condition. Clem Snide have achieved longevity and captured the quintessence of what makes roots music the root of a new sound to come.