Albums & soundtracks

The 38th Parallel

The 38th Parallel

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Album liner notes

The 38th Parallel was released in April 2007

By Mark Olszewski, Michael Owen, Gordon Clarke and Michael Clarke.

Produced by Kinematic.
Music & lyrics by Owen/Clarke.
Arrangements by Kinematic.
Engineered & recorded by Kevin Ross.
Recorded at Strawbale Hill (November 2004).
Mixed by Michael Stifter.
Mastered by Lachlan Carrick at Moose Mastering.

Gordon Clarke - Guitars & backing vocals.
Michael Clarke - Bass & backing vocals.
Mark Olszewski - Drums, percussion & loops.
Michael Owen - Vocals, guitars & piano.

Anthony L. Barrett - Keyboards on Celluloid.
Ian Clarke - Congas on 1964.
De Constantine - Backing vocals on Oregon.
Jaime Pitman - Violin on Triage.

Cover art by Heidi Crawford.
Finished art by Gordon Clarke.

All tracks © Somersault Music/Kinematic. All rights reserved.

38th Parallel   INSTRUMENTAL

38th Parallel   0.56

A intro to the album that features a motif of Stone River [track 9] and a train pulling into Northcote station in Melbourne.

Carnivàle   LYRICS & VIDEO

Carnivàle   3.53

Don’t scream out now, from the faceless
A silent shout, no you shouldn’t ...

Stand, don’t you stand, don’t you stand in this crowd
Oh, don’t you stand, don’t you stand in this crowd

Clear cut and drowned, like it’s bleeding
Don’t make a sound, you know you couldn’t ...

Stand, don’t you stand, don’t you stand in this crowd
Oh, don’t you stand, don’t you stand in this crowd

Run where you can, while you can
Run where you can, while you can
Embracing time ...

Video by Red Clementine

Oregon   LYRICS

Oregon   3.09

Don’t parade yourself, she said
Don’t rise above yourself, she said
We can see you well enough from here

I can’t defend a single thing
I can’t live out a single dream
There’ll never be a train for me, from here

Who can you turn to now?
Who can you turn to now?
And who knows you now

Terrified of joy, she said
Terrified of hope, she said
Do I disappoint, talking this way?

I’d like to go away, she said
But if I can’t escape from here
Will you turn and leave for me instead

Who can you turn to now?
Who can you turn to now?
And nobody knows you now

1964   LYRICS & VIDEO

1964   3.13

I’m on the verge of something special
I’ve got an album sleeve, black vinyl
There’s magic here in mono tracks
It’s what I need to take me back

Oh, it seems to take me high, so high
I'm going to believe to make it fine, so fine, I hear the stereo

I’ve gotta hear that static silence
I’ve gotta feel the warmth of vinyl
Thirty-three, I switch to play
It’s what I need to take me back

Oh, it seems to take me high, so high
I'm going to believe to make it fine, so fine, I hear the stereo
It take me high, so high
Going to believe to make it fine, so fine, I hear the stereo

Video by Viperlima ASL

In The Company Of Talking Machines   LYRICS

In the Company of Talking Machines   3.10

There is a constant background noise
Frequency caught behind my eyes

Calling to you, easing through you, I want to shake you down
Falling for you, makes me want to keep both of us around

Noise of the crowd has drowned you out
The rate of the world is slowing down

Calling to you, easing through you, I want to shake you down
Falling for you, makes me want to keep both of us around

Falling for you, easing through you ... falling for you everywhere now

Calling to you, easing through you, I want to shake you down
Falling for you, makes me want to keep both of us around

Falling for you, easing through you ... falling for you everywhere now

In Between   LYRICS & VIDEO

In Between   2.30

Always the last one left, always the last one trying
And when it gets too much, I never let it go
Ah, I'm trying, ah, I'm still ...

I believe I can like everyone else
I want to stay in between
I don’t need you knowing ‘bout everyone else
I want to stay in between

Always the first one out of any confrontation
And when it gets too much I try to play it slow
Ah, I'm trying, ah, I'm still ...

I believe I can like everyone else
I want to stay in between
I don’t need you knowing ‘bout everyone else
I want to stay in between, in between

I don’t need you knowing ‘bout everyone
I don’t need you knowing

Video by Viperlima ASL

Triage   LYRICS

Triage   3.05

Turning it over, like the year you changed
There is a moment that puts you right in the frame
I should leave, I should leave, you told me
It will be, sooner or later

Fade away, falling through an open stage
Either way, I’m in triage, I’m just breathing

Come into focus with the blink of an eye
Do you need a reason, or maybe an alibi?
I should leave, I should leave, you told me
It will be, sooner or later

Fade away, falling through an open stage
Either way, I’m in triage, I’m just breathing
Not today, timing isn’t feeling right
Either way, all of us will soon be leaving

Even when it’s gone astray, even when you know it’s coming

Fade away, falling through an open stage
Either way, I’m in triage, I’m just breathing
Not today, timing isn’t feeling right
Either way, all of us will soon be leaving

Love & Graffiti   LYRICS & VIDEO

Love & Graffiti   3.45

You're there, watching and waiting
Across from me at the station
Wonder if I should go your way
Finger marks on the window
Leave me a trail to follow
Always watching and waiting for you

When will I see you, when will I see you, today

Shall we see where it takes us, all the better to make us
I know there's something weird right here

Subway, love and graffiti
Footsteps echo around me
Wonder why everyone looks my way
And then I see you waiting
Once more, down at the station
Ask why we find ourselves back here

When will I see you, when will I see you, today

Shall we see where it takes us, all the better to make us
I know there's something weird right here
Sadly, I’m gonna waste it, all the better to break us
I know there's something weird right here

Take back everything I did, take back everything I said
When will I see you, when will I see you, today

Shall we see where it takes us, all the better to make us
I know there's something weird right here
Sadly, I’m gonna waste it, all the better to break us
I know there's something weird right here

Video by Kier Fox

Stone River (Parallel The Northern Highway)   LYRICS

Stone River (Parallel the Northern Highway)   2.13

I am going I don’t know where, I could be gone some time
Parallel the northern highway, hiding on the coast a while

And we start over again, and we’re as good as we get

Lingers like a common nightmare, waiting on a grey horizon
Shuffle through unwanted pages, hoping on a change in season

And we start over again, and we’re as good as we get

Celluloid   LYRICS

Celluloid   3.29

Have I time to make you sigh, innocent the naked eye
But the moment passes by, frozen to the celluloid

Oh, what if only I was a memory?
Oh, breaking slowly, oh, breaking slowly, slowly ending

And if our eyes happen to meet, will we turn or skip a beat
Will we call ourselves complete, spell it out in celluloid

Oh, what if only I was a memory?
Oh, breaking slowly, oh, breaking slowly, slowly ending

A Quota Guarantee   LYRICS

A Quota Guarantee   3.22

Fill the quota guarantee, it’s all I need to make the team

Waiting by a phone and thinking, take a call that gets me drinking

I don’t wanna listen, I don’t wanna mess you up
I don’t wanna a mix up

Love when things don’t go as planned, could be the time to show my hand

I don’t wanna listen, I don’t wanna mess you up
I don’t wanna a mix up

Are You Leaving?   LYRICS

Are You Leaving?   2.42

How you managed this, you asked me, if I would
Now and then in time, it feels like I know it could

Are you leaving, are you leaving?
And you'll soon be, you're taking all you should

Don’t pretend it's right when I can see how it is
Now and then in time it feels like I know it should

Are you leaving, are you leaving?
And you'll soon be, you're taking all on, going where you should