By SHAUNNA LEAVITT
Someday maybe there will be another great grassroots American guitar rock band. That “Someday Maybe” is here.
Depending on who you ask, they’ll tell you their name is either a homage to the famous 19th century explorer team, or a respectful nod to the 80’s roots-rock band The Long Ryders (whose song, “Looking for Lewis and Clark” was The Clarks’ first cover).
Either way, The Clarks, who got their start at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Penn., are writing good songs in the tradition of such heartland guitarists as The Replacements, The Rainmakers, Tom Petty and fellow Pittsburgh natives The Rave-Ups.
In their recent CD release, “Someday Maybe,” this decade-old band has resequenced an original release from the band’s King Mouse records. They have added “Cigarette,” remixed their original first single, “Caroline,” and included “These Wishes,” written by former Rave-Ups lead singer Jimmer Podrasky.
With an original sound that is a cross between Tom Petty and grunge, “Someday Maybe” presents songs about realistic issues.
In “No Place Like Home,” The Clarks aren’t dreaming about Dorothy or Oz — they tell a story of a child being left by their mother who ran off with another man: “Momma should’ve known that you can’t grow up alone, and we will be together someday maybe there’s no place like home.”
Drinking and driving becomes real in “Last Call,” a song about someone who has had too much to drink and is on their way home with instructions to “take the bow not the stern and pray before you begin.” The song ends with a warning to “watch who you pass for your first DWI.”
Like any other male band, The Clarks sing about women. In “Courtney” a relationship is developing and nobody is quite sure where it’s going. “Now my friends they all want to know, is this for real or is it just a show They’re taking bets on when I’m history All her friends are gonna tell her things, shared apartments, diamond rings.”
Other songs on the album include, “Stop!” “Mercury,” “Rain,” “Never Let You Down,” “Fatal,” “The Box,” “One day in My Life,” and “Everything Has Changed.”
The Clarks consist of four guys, Scott Blasey, Greg Joseph, Robert James and David Minarik who were all attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania. They discovered a mutual love of song-oriented, grassroots American guitar rock, and decided to start a band.
In other words, the Clarks have arrived.
