The Clintons - Strange Day In Mexico

This, from The Clintons` bio, captures the essence of the bands most accurately: "The Clintons are a group of good guys who like to make friends and drink beer and act like goof balls, all the while making people happy. And while pop culture is turning out canned products like Clay Aiken and the mega-marketing machines are feeding society Jessica Simpson, the Clintons would prefer to hang out Montana-style, being good ol` boys with an occasional trip about the country to see their friends and share their lives with them in person." Indeed, they deliver on that reason d`etre playing graceful, sunny, upbeat pop as easy as a back-porch Sunday afternoon. They remind me a bit of Sweden`s Beagle on a good portion of the material and, at other times, they have a sound like The Clarks, Fastball, Freddie Jones Band, The Badlees and a bit of The Elms.

The Clintons know when to funk up their pop,they know when to turn it down and let the melody glide and the song`s core to take hold and keep the embellishment at a minimum and when it`s time to rock it up, to let the groove slide. It`s on these types of tunes that a feeling of a joyride, with the moon sinking in the rearview mirror and wide-open blacktop beckoning the listener to drive away swiftly from all worries and responsibilities. Sure, it`s not going to change the world, but this is an album that gets better and better with each listen. My own first listen, I thought it was pleasant enough in a bit of an indistinctive way and certainly made the cut for Not Lame, but subsequent listens reveal that initial judgement way, way too harsh. Very Highly Recommended!

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