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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Review: Clipper - Make My Day


Clipper – Make My Day
2007, Clipper


Italian Rock band Clipper is one of the more surprising entries into the Americana market that we’ve received. Citing roots in Rock N Roll, Folk and Country (in particular Hank Williams), Clipper delves deep into the roots of American music. Primarily a duo, Lorenzo and Davide occasionally enlist the assistance of other musicians, but the two have been with Clipper for a long time and stand firmly at the helm. Their most recent CD, Make My Day, provides a solid grounding in classic Americana with a European twist.

Clipper takes on a kind of Grunge-American style tempered by the sort of pop aesthetic practiced by Oasis on Make My Day. Lead singer Lorenzo Romagnoli sounds like a Gallagher on the opening track, The Mean Singer. The Mean Singer has a sort of Punk/Pop vibe running through it. While lyrically repetitive, the music is catchy and pleasant to listen to. Start Breathing is a catchy, jangly guitar-pop anthem that will get stuck in your head from the opening verse. Shopping Mall Blues has a real rockabilly feel to it that is as catchy as the flu; Doom, similarly, has a very viral country sound built around pedal steel guitar and a two-beat rhythm.

Through it all Romagnoli sounds very much like Liam Gallagher imitating Bob Dylan. This doesn't sound rediculous in fact, although it seems like it should. The overall effect is quite entertaining, as if Ringo had took lead vocals on all of the Traveling Wilburies' tunes. My favorite song on the disc is Black Sky Blues. The picked acoustic guitar and slide-guitar accompaniment make this sound like acoustic blues you might hear in a backwoods Kentucky roadhouse. Other highlights include You, Spean Bridge, the traditional Leaving Of Liverpool and Ramblin' Man.

Clipper finds the heart of Rock N Roll that many American rock artists have long forgotten. The definition of radical is returning to the roots, and by that definition Clipper is one of the most radical bands out there. Vocally intriguing and musically sound, Clipper explores the back roads of American music through the eyes of a Brit Pop fan. Make My Day, consequently, is a comfortable album with a classic sound that deserves real attention. Clipper is for real.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Clipper at www.geocities.com/clipperpeople or www.myspace.com/clippersound. You can purchase a copy of Make My Day using PayPal at Clipper’s online store.

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