Like Semisonic sang on their classic 1994 single “Closing Time,” “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” Such is the case on both halves of Jake Clarke and Spur’s new split. Clarke was one of the vocalists of the grunge band Superheaven, and his half of the split sounds like the natural next step from his old band’s ‘90s-inspired rock. Spur, on the other hand, rose from the ashes of the emo band In Writing, and they play a blend of coarse punk and shoegaze.
When “Get It Together” opens Clarke’s half of the split, it sounds like a holdover cut from Ours Is Chrome. It’s crunchy and fuzzy in the vein of Superheaven’s material; it makes for a bizarre opener. “Yellow Gown,” a slower, more mellow take on the same sound, comes next, and it’s a better example of how Clarke’s solo work will differ from his old band’s. The songs are slower, the guitars don’t bite quite as much, and there’s more emphasis on the choruses. He even dabbles in dreamy space-rock on “Part 2,” a pseudo-interlude that sounds like HUM run through a Radiohead filter. Ultimately his half ends up a rewarding listen; this approach suits Clarke well, maybe even better than Superheaven’s full-speed-ahead grunge rock.
Unfortunately, it’s followed up by Spur, a band whose debut material immediately makes it clear they’ll be a band to watch. A drum roll kicks off “Out of View,” a fast-paced, reverb-heavy punk song. Comparisons to bands like Title Fight or Turnover are inevitable for someone playing this style these days, and while occasionally they hold true – like “Freeze,” which I’ll discuss in a second – Spur stands apart from the pack. While those bands tend to play punk with a splash of dream pop, Spur flips it around, bending punk influences into shoegaze songs. The best example of that is “Freeze,” which, with its screamed chorus of “I exist – but it’s not for you,” and guitar solo finale, recalls Title Fight’s “Rose of Sharon” in its mixing of hardcore and shoegaze.
Both of these artists are onces we should be watching out for. While Jake Clarke does stick close to Superheaven’s forte, it’s fair to say he’s tweaked things enough to be able to pull in new fans as well, and Spur is looking like one of the more exciting, refreshing bands in this style. Fans of anyone from the bands I mentioned to Mazzy Star should be able to find something to love in Spur’s sound. Let’s hope it won’t be closing time for either of these two soon.