CD review: 'Arrow' by Clare and the Reasons
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CLARE AND THE REASONS
"Arrow"
Kindred spirits: Caravan of Thieves; A Fine Frenzy
Show: With the Vic Chesnutt Band and special guests Friday at the Black Cat. Show starts at 9 p.m. 202-667-4440. http:/
There's nothing wrong with approaching life as a glass-half-full person.
If you prefer to concentrate on life's positives rather than on the dreary realities of war, drug abuse and poverty, that's your right.
Clare and the Reasons' positive, spunky orchestral pop tunes won many hearts last week at the CMJ Music Marathon in New York. But some critics' responses mirrored that of the fictional Lou Grant speaking to Mary Tyler Moore in the 1970s sitcom: "I hate spunk."
The perky pop on "Arrow," the sophomore album by the Brooklyn-based band, might not be for everyone. But before you dismiss the sound as the audio version of Holly Golightly in the classic movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's," dig deeper.
This is no sugar-coated teen pop. Clare Manchon's vocals have an edge that leads the songs -- full of soaring violins, horns and the occasional semi-experimental sound -- into some serious topics.
One standout is "You Got Me," which plays almost like a private struggle in the mind of one seeking redemption after lying and cheating. Another standout is "Murder, They Want Murder."
Even the classic Genesis tune "That's All" adopts a different 'tude.
Just as Golightly proved, a soft veneer often hides plenty of substance.
-- Nancy Dunham
