39 Clocks Pain It Dark
The Bureau B imprint mines deep into the murk and strikes gold with this reissue […]
The Bureau B imprint mines deep into the murk and strikes gold with this reissue of the 1981 debut from Germany’s self-crowned “Psycho Beat” combo, 39 Clocks. Oozing out shock waves of bad acid trips, decayed guitar, and the dull stomp of a tiny beatbox, the 39s honed in on the ragged, garage-y stumble of Loaded-era Velvets with some crusted synths à la Suicide thrown in for sturdy backbone. “A Look Into You” sounds like an offshoot of a new-wave single with its faded, slothful rhythms, barbed lead riffs, and ghostly deadpan vocals, while “Shake the Hippie” and “Test the Beat” have got just the right mix of fuzz and shamble. A definite keeper.