Fluxblog Weekly #203: Clinic, Sasami, Ariana Grande, FKJ
March 19th, 2019
What Else Can Be
Clinic “Rubber Bullets”
John Peel used to say that The Fall were “always different, always the same.” This basically comes down to the singular aesthetics of Mark E. Smith – no matter who else was in The Fall or what influences were exciting him at the moment, the result could only ever sound like Mark E. Smith. A lot of my favorite artists are like this, and that includes Clinic. Unlike The Fall, Clinic are remarkably stable – they’ve had the same lineup since the beginning of their recorded career, and the group barely changes up their instrumentation. But the approach is the same: Sounds, aesthetics, and whole chunks of other people’s music get fed through the Clinic template and it comes out sounding like nothing but Clinic. If you’re not paying attention, they never really change. If you are listening closely, it’s all in the details. But either way, Clinic sounds incredibly cool. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it, right?
“Rubber Bullets,” like most Clinic songs, gets a lot of its character from the sound of Ade Blackburn’s voice. Blackburn, like Smith, has a one-of-a-kind voice, but whereas Smith battered you with the full force of his highly defined sense of self at all times, Blackburn is more peculiar and enigmatic. He sounds like a trickster figure – impish, furtive, and somewhat perverse. “Rubber Bullets” has a creepy psychedelic carnival vibe, but whereas that would suggest a wide open space, it has the same claustrophobic feeling that pretty much any Clinic song would have. They somehow make the lead organ part sound sweaty, and the lead guitar sounds like how being leered at feels. It’s not quite sinister, but it’s not far off either.
Buy it from Amazon.
March 19th, 2019
Flooded By The Warmth
Sasami “Jealousy”
Sasami sings “Jealousy” like she’s calmly, quietly passing along a secret. But I’m not sure what the secret is – her words come out like riddles, but her confidence makes you want to lean closer and decode what you’re hearing. The music feels conspiratorial and hushed as well, with simple drum machine clicks setting a tinny ambiance while her guitar chords seem to creep along gently, as if on tip-toes. The loveliest part of the song is the most enigmatic – why, exactly, is she singing the word “jealousy” in high-pitched clusters? It’s hard to tell who is envious of what, but the word rings out like a reason. Maybe she’s just trying to make you go “ah, of course, that’s it.”
Buy it from Amazon.
March 20th, 2019
Overthinking With My Heart
Ariana Grande “Needy”
“I don’t give no fucks” is a thing people say when all they do is give a fuck. There’s an irony to Ariana Grande singing that phrase in “Needy,” a song that is entirely about giving a fuck and being insecure and desperate for affirmation and approval. It’s a double negative – she’s saying she doesn’t give a fuck if people know this about her, but trying to “own it” is just another layer of neuroses. It’s trying to control the narrative. It’s trying to find some solid ground to stand on when everything else feels unstable.
But still, the vulnerability on display in “Needy” is admirable. The desire to “own it” is brave, because you’re not supposed to be proud of being so invested in a fledgling relationship, and so open about what you actually need from it. You’re supposed to play it cool, and hide all this intensity – overanalyzing texts, obsessing over every little thing, volatile emotions. You don’t want to freak them out, so you start feeling like you’ve got to protect them from your feelings. But your feelings aren’t an attack, and you’re just protecting yourself. Grande’s vocal performance conveys the strength of her feelings, but also a weariness. Tamping down this passion is driving her crazy and transparency is her only way out of this situation.
The line that really gets me here is in the chorus: “I can be needy, tell me how good it feels to be needed.” This is the crux of the whole thing, right? This isn’t about demanding someone’s time and energy and feelings. It’s about affirming your reciprocal value, and hoping that the person you need appreciates that need, because it’s ultimately a high compliment. There’s a lot of emotional intelligence in this song, and it’s not just in its vulnerability. It’s in admitting that things are confusing and complex and weird, and that need is both necessary and embarrassing. But it’s worth it: “I know it feels so good to be needed.”
Buy it from Amazon.
March 22nd, 2019
This Will Change It All
FKJ “Leave My Home”
“Leave My Home” has a very “I’m doing good, I guess” feeling to it. Smooth and relaxing, but with this subtle undertow of doubt and instability. The lyrics are specifically about adjusting to a new environment, but the feeling could be about any sort of adjustment period – it’s all in the way everything feels lovely but unsettled. This feeling really comes through in the guitar solo, which has a jazzy smoothness but also a slickness that feels like a put-on, like it’s all in quotations in a “fake it til you make it” sort of way.
Buy it from Amazon.