Has it really been nearly three years since the last album from Special Friend? Thankfully, a few fine singles in the last few weeks -- "Breakfast", "Clipping", and "Isolation" -- have gotten us ready for Clipping, the new full-length which is released on Friday.
Things open with the peppy "Paints a Picture", a number which recalls Unrest spin-off Air Miami. "Unwound" strikes a similar tone, even as current single "Isolation" exists in a more introspective space. American Erica Ashleson (drums, vocals) and Frenchman Guillaume Siracusa (guitar, vocals) are Special Friend, and the tunes here reveal a neat mix of indie influences from both sides of the Atlantic. The title track, for example, is one of many Special Friend numbers which may make a listener think of Nineties-era Yo La Tengo. However, the superb "Nothing" may put one in mind of solo efforts from Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier.
Erica Ashleson and Guillaume Siracusa use a deft touch here. Nothing on Clipping feels overdone, even the lone epic-length number which closes the record. Most of these tracks are modest in tempo, or strummy in an upbeat way at times. And each number feels like a gem from a world where great indie never went out of favor. In an earlier age, I'd be pulling all 12 of these tracks off to anchor 12 different mix-tapes, surrounding those selections with classics from Young Marble Giants, Unrest, Stereolab, Yo La Tengo, and others. It's that kind of record, and Clipping is this week's real winner.
Clipping by Special Friend will be out on Skep Wax on March 30.
[Photo: Jules Vandales]