I could suffer if you really want me to
I could listen to Eef Barzelay sing the ingredients list from a Wheaties box. He's the lead singer and songwriter from Clem Snide, a band that is hard to categorize, because on paper it sounds like just plain rock. Their songs, however, have a folk-like sensibility, though Barzelay's emotions are a bit more guarded than those of, say, Dar Williams. It's like he's wearing his heart on his sleeve but he's speaking a different language.
This track is from the recently released Suburban Field Recordings, Vol. 1, a compilation of solo work from the early nineties. Upon first listen, it didn't strike me as very interesting, even with that howl of a voice. My first was that, if I heard anyone else sing this song, I wouldn't think anything of it. Its charms have creeped in, though, after a few listens, and it seems a fitting beginning for a band that has mined Barzelay's yawp in more fleshed-out arrangements in five albums (and one EP) since.
Suburban Field Recordings, Vol. 1 is available as an exclusive iTunes download.