You know the drill by now. Bishop Allen are releasing an EP every month of 2006. Here’s their 10th!

MP3: Bishop Allen - Clementines
Since most of the songs that were originally to be on Bishop Allen’s follow-up to Charm School were written over two years ago, they’ve gone through some heavy changes. “Clementines,” though now in its third incarnation (once “A Toast From Benefit Street” and before that, “Come Clean”), is still one of the band’s strongest songs.

Even so, I can’t help but miss “Clementines” in its old form. The melody was stronger and the “we’ll laugh…” section seemed more joyous, and more alive. If I’d never heard it in another incarnation, I would think “Clementines” was quite possibly the acme of Bishop Allen’s songwriting. But now it’s just a curious reminder not to mess with a good thing. Too much tinkering can deflate what makes a song special.

And before anyone thinks this is a negative review, let me explicitly state that I think this is a wonderful song. Bishop Allen are one of the best bands going right now, and I prefer their overworked songs to many bands’ perfectly worked ones any day.

Buy it at Bishop Allen’s web site

Previously on YANP:
Stay Hungry: The Story of Bishop Allen
Bishop Allen @ Mecca