The Clergy

Item: All Who Fly
Author: Mark Fisher

All Who Fly

(2005)

Reviewed by Mark Fisher

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Label Boot to Head RecordsDecapolisNovember 2005

art rock indie rock punk

Ten years off...hmmmmm.....

When I was in my early twenty's I worked for a little mag called This Prophecy and one of our biggest supporters was an upstart young label called Boot To Head. Releasing timeless albums by the likes of Chasm and Blaster the Rocket (then) Boy (now) Man, they quickly became a favorite label around our offices. Having not thought much about them in recent years I was ecstatic to see a marriage of two favorites from days gone by, Boot To Head Records and The Clergy. That's right this Sonic Youth inspired indie/punk/art/rock band is back, nearly 10 years after their last release. Ten year's... dang I'm getting old.

So, of course, the question is. Do they still have it? Well depending on what that magical "it" is, I'll have to answer yes and no to the question. "All Who Fly" is a solid album and if I was still 22 or it was still the early/mid-nineties this would probably be considered the album of the year in my music collection. Unfortunately it's not and The Clergy remain unchanged. Perhaps by choice, perhaps by circumstance.

Everything about The Clergy that gripped you before is still here, the slightly off, artistic, understated vocal work, the cloudy musical prowess, the somewhat cliche but undoubtedly heartfelt lyrics, the dissonance, everything. Somehow though, it just doesn't seem as relevant as it once did. There will undoubtedly be a select few that disagree (and I'd like to disagree with myself, for the record) and would like to lynch me but the fact remains. The world (mine and yours) is not what it once was.

The alternative praise oriented "A Choice of Walking," "I will Sing," and "The Call" are probably the highlights here in my opinion. I want to love this album yet it somehow just falls flat for me. Perhaps if you are younger and this is your first exposure to this groundbreaking band you will feel differently, however if you are an old school fan hoping for a roaring comeback you're not likely to find it here.

2/4