Hungry Bird

A breakup may not be the time to pull out that "it's not me, it's you" chestnut, but it also might be your last chance to leave 'em with something to remember. Such is the balancing act at play on Hungry Bird, veteran countrypolitan rockers Clem Snide's bow-out that wasn't. A few years back, after a decad e and a half as Clem Snide, songwriter Eef Barzelay announced the end of the Clems, while his own solo output (never far from the Clem Snide aesthetic anyhow, given Barzelay's strong presence and Clem Snide's oft-changing lineup) multiplied. A final album of Snide songs, recorded around the time of Barzelay's 2008 sophomore solo effort, Lose Big, had reportedly been laid down around the same time; now it surfaces asHungry Bird. One twist: In December, Barzelay announced that Clem Snide had patched things up and are giving this band thing another go.