Pirate Studio Sessions by Clarkwell Rivers

I hope you recollect the Clarkwell Rivers track "Bad Faith" on ‘Hot Music Live Presents Volume Six'?

Now he's back with two live recordings from Pirate Studios in Camden Town, "Britannia No More" and "Mysteries of Power" featuring himself on guitar and vocals & Dan Warren on drums: you can hear them via this link:

https://soundcloud.com/clarkwellrivers/sets/pirate-studios-sessions

The former is a remarkably heavy (especially given the limited lineup) tune, with a bluesy beginning but soon morphing into something more discordant & imbued with the energy & bile of punk (appropriate enough I guess for something recorded a stone's throw from where The Clash first emerged). Singing a little like Jonathan Richman did in the early Modern Lovers days, he sounds repeatedly like he won't be able to get the words out quickly enough to keep up with the music, but he does by the skin of his teeth. I really liked it.

The second song is less frenetic but still full of sharp edges, uncomfortable guitar figures and a similarly acerbic take on life. In contrast to the opener, his vocals are not only markedly slower but seem to be taking a post-punk route of deconstructing the tune as it goes & drawing power from the resultant dissonance. A bold set of moves, but fortunately he's found himself with a reviewer who likes this approach.

This is a very raw & uncompromising release: it takes certain (admirable) qualities to step this far from the blandishments of the mainstream, but I'm sure there are many "Hot Music Live" readers who will see that as a strength & not the reverse.