The Clockwork Flowers: "Autumn Afternoon"

By Jonti Davies

the clockwork flowers: "autumn afternoon" (download mp3 here)

Arriving in Tokyo after a decade spent meditating in the Himalayas, Londoners John and Anthea Bliss have returned to civilization with a bang. The White Stripes would kill to be as cool, or as English, as The Clockwork Flowers. Okay, there are obvious signs of this duo's unabashed tendency for Beatles homage here - a structurally critical hook lifted from "And I Love Her", cryptic "Fool On The Hill" allusions and even a Revolver-drawn backwards guitar solo - yet "Autumn Afternoon" is not just a cap doffed in memory of the Fab Four. There's more to it than that. There's an odd, kinetic breeziness throughout "Autumn Afternoon", and lead singer John Bliss delivers his unpredictable, brilliant lines on an even weirder level of otherworldliness than was achieved by Lennon when, during his solo period, he infamously demanded of producers that they excessively alter his voice with effects. At times it sounds as though he's singing underwater. J.P. and I were of the opinion that "Autumn Afternoon" could do with being remastered, but the raw materials and composition are simply awesome. Bongos, real handclaps (!), organ, strings. This song makes me very happy. So thanks, Clockwork Flowers.  

web.mac.com/theclockworkflowers
Upcoming live dates in Tokyo: June 27th at Doobies (Ueno), July 19th at What The Dickens! (Ebisu)

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