[3/5]
Don Zientara is best known for his Inner Ear Studios, where he produces most Dischord releases. Clocks & Watches is the follow-up to his ultra lo-fi '03 solo debut, Sixteen SSongs. Unlike other producer-musicians (Alan Parsons, Wharton Tiers), Zientara makes music that sounds nothing like the bands he records. Spare but not nearly as raw as his debut, Clocks benefits from the addition of keyboards and production techniques spuring a disquieting grandeur. Eerie, percolating synths bite at the heels of a ringing 12-string, while Zientara warns in a dry Townshend-esque croon, "It's a shame this life's over so soon, but it is, and the drama goes on." ("Somewhere"). The spacious, ominously loping arrangements are like a spaghetti Western boasting all the drama of Billy Thorpe's "Children Of The Sun" turned down to 3. The disc's understated elegance is further exemplified by "Basement's On Fire," which slowly writhes and aches toward a shimmering anthemic resolve. (NORTHERN LIBERTIES/DISCHORD) Chris Parker
 Official Website: http://www.dischord.com
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