There’s no denying the influence that New Zealand art-punk trio the
Clean have had on indie rockers since their formation in the late ’70s:
Bands like Yo La Tengo and Pavement have named them as an inspiration.
Their spotty output has been anthologized three times, an unusual honor
for a band slightly less famous than its members’ side projects (the
Chills, the Bats). As sometimes happens with bands whose influence
outstrips their output, the Clean’s first full-length in almost a
decade is pretty much a mess. After 30 years, you might expect the
musicianship of brothers Hamish and David Kilgour and Bob Scott to be
better than amateurish, but that’s not the case. Tracks like “Asleep in
the Tunnel” and the grating “Factory Man” are sloppy, and not in an
endearing way. Most of the tracks, including — count ’em! —
three instrumentals, feel like b-sides. When the trio are at their most
tuneful, like on the swinging “Back in the Day,” what made them
influential is obvious. But with the bulk of Mister Pop nearly
unlistenable, it’s not clear what made this album necessary. Curious
listeners would be better served by sticking with one of the
compilations. — Chris Drabick
This article appears in Sep 9-15, 2009.
