Words by Brendan

There are many adjecives I could use to describe Pet Clinic and their debut EP—talented, purposeful, confident, moody—but I’m choosing this one above all: energetic. This six song EP is the culmination of years of work and it seriously shows, with nary a second of filler, nor a misplaced sound. Even the mellow moments (of which there are few, mind you) have me on the edge of my seat or up on my feet. This is a band who knows exactly what they want to sound like and will push that vision as hard as they can. And they’re pushing hard.

Don’t miss the album release show at The Shop this Saturday night, February 11. The Harlan Twins are playing, TM Eye is DJing, Charles Doomany is providing audio/visual displays, and it’s only $7 (all-ages, but free beer with ID). Everything kicks off at 7:30 and you can pick up Pet Clinic‘s album on vinyl!

Pet Clinic / Stop Wasting My Precious Time

On first listen, the songs of TDTMTFTMTL (yeah, an acronym is necessary here) will probably remind you of 90s grunge and punk rock. The sludgy guitar sounds of “Stop Wasting My Precious Time” and “Coming Night” conjure Nirvana and Pixies comparisons, and they’re absolutely merited. Pet Clinic clearly relishes the loud-and-proud ethos, amping up to 11 with gusto and bringing the listener along for an energetic ride. There’s a moment early on in closing track “Wonderful Maker”, for instance, where singer David Bubenheim snarls out “All my fear escapes ME!” and then a guitar buzzes in the bakground, and then everything—drums, bass, guitar, electronics—bursts outward for 15 seconds or so. It’s a powerful moment that you might find all over some less interesting retro-grunge albums, but when used somewhat sparingly, as Pet Clinic does, it has an astoundingly uplifting effect, especially when paired with some more restrained moments and, even in that track, a few bars of just Bubenheim’s soft guitar strums and voice and nothing else.

I think this is why TDTMTFTMTL appeals to me so much, even with my typical disinclination towards sneery, punky, loud-as-hell records. Yes, this EP is quite loud at times, and Bubenheim’s nasaly voice could be a bit of a turnoff if you’re picky about that shit, but … luckily for me, I’m not so picky, and luckily for you, Pet Clinic has a ton of interesting musical ideas and tricks up their sleeve that they wield to great effect all across this album. First, they have some bluesy, garage rock tendencies in addition to the obvious heavy alt-rock; this might be a lingering effect from Bubenheim’s former band with brother Aaron, Br’er Fox. Second, the melodies are full of hooks, right from the opening riff in “Stop Wasting My Precious Time” (play that track above). Then there’s that snappy four-measure melody in “Alaskan Plates” that repeats over and over (not unlike Thom Yorke’s insistent yelling of “The raindrops” 46 concescutive times in “Sit Down. Stand Up” from Hail to the Thief) as the song builds and builds, layering bass and drums over the initially-bare guitar riff. (This epic song is probably their best live, too, I should note.) Later, there’s the tinkly, gliding guitar/bass line in “Mr. Yuk” that interplays nicely with the quick and restrained (at least, at first) percussion. This kind of meandering melody shows up again in the interlude of “Coming Night” and it quickens and builds until Bubenheim unleashes a primal howl. Third, Kenny Nelson’s drum prowess is evident all over this record. He pounds hard and fast when it’s warranted, and pulls back to let the guitars and/or vocals lead the way at other times.

One of the more interesting aspects of their sound is a bit of an intangible, inexplicable one, though. Keyboardist/sound-scapist John Henderson (who you saw playing keyboard in our Echo Chamber shoot with Donora) is a bit enigmatic onstage, always leaning into his machinery, hair in face, tweaking knobs and whatever else is up there. I honestly couldn’t tell what he was doing/adding to the sound the first couple of times I caught Pet Clinic in concert, but listening to this stunningly-recorded album (thanks to studio time won at a WPTS Battle of the Bands contest!), it’s abundantly clear that their sound relies on Henderson’s delicatre touch. Just give a listen to “Stop Wasting…” again. Did you notice the churchy organ sounds during the building drum section around the 2:15 mark? Maybe you did, but maybe you didn’t quite appreciate the benefit those little flourishes add. There are tons of sound washes and subtle ear-tickling effects throughout the record, and I’ll let you listen for them yourself, but suffice it to say, this lends the band a unique quality, increases the replay value, and points to an intelligent musicianship that can only flourish from here. With the added touch of second guitarist Mike Arendt and new bassist Ian Edwards, Pet Clinic‘s focus and confidence bodes well for more incredible releases in the future.

There are some interesting lyrical themes floating through this EP, too, that I’m still wrapping my head around. Pain, gloom, regret, fear, rebirth, redemption … all of these feelings are addressed head on and there doesn’t seem to be any resolution, nor a need for one, interestingly enough. “Alaskan Plates” conveys some self-aware, dystopic imagery, particularly with the line “The future holds no place for a boy lost in time”. It’s like the narrator yearns to exist outside of his own time and place, but knows he can’t: “On this day pretending, if I could only fly / Clip your wings my brother, you get them when you’ll die”. Meanwhile, “Stop Wasting…” has the admonition “Stop biting the hand that feeds you every night”, and “Mr. Yuk” has a repeated Skinnerian theme—“Pushing poison pills down deep into your threat / You’re here, you will be gone”—that’s actually kinda scary and depressing when you stop to think about it. But that’s the beauty. Pet Clinic doesn’t let you stop and think about it. They’re off and running with yowls and crashes and rumbles. There’s a clear intelligence and vision underlying these songs—there to be discovered if you listen closely—that comes across just as well in the mood and atmosphere of the music. That’s a deadly combo that’s not easy to create and pull off. Pet Clinic nailed it.

Be sure to head to The Shop (4314 Main St.) on Saturday night to catch Pet Clinic in action and pick up a 12″ vinyl copy of the album!

Pet Clinic: Website / Facebook / Twitter
Buy the album: iTunes

Filed under: Album Reviews, Homegrown Goodness