POP MUSIC REVIEW : COUNTRY PAIR GO WITH MELLOW FLOW

The back-to-acoustic movement has been a boon to rockers in these intimacy-starved ‘80s. Talents as formidable and rock-steady as Elvis Costello, T Bone Burnett and Peter Case have all turned in some of their best shows and albums recently in just such a hushed, electronics-free mode.

Joining that welcome trend for their first joint project are Carla Olson and Gene Clark, who have just recorded an acoustic album together and who debuted as a duo Monday at At My Place.

This ultra-low-key gig was evidence that the acoustic format doesn’t necessarily bring out the best in all strong talents, though. Clark (formerly of the Byrds) and Olson (currently of the Textones) are certainly sensitive enough to function fairly well in a quieter mode. But the country-folk material they unveiled in their hourlong set just wasn’t captivating enough to justify holding back a full-on instrumental attack.

Overall, it was sleepy-time at the OK Corral, especially for the set’s first half, which Olson and Clark performed without backing. The addition at the midway point of additional players on stand-up bass, drums and piano helped pick things up, but the pace nonetheless remained a little lethargic for anything other than the strongest batch of songs.

Former Texan Olson’s charm lies more in gustiness and gutsiness than in gentle lost-love songs. And Clark is a fairly mellow presence even when in the company of a kicking rock ‘n’ roll band; without one, he’s a little too mellow even for a city as mellow as Santa Monica.

A few good, original songs (especially Olson’s “Every Angel in Heaven”) and a smart choice of outside material (from Gram Parsons, John Fogerty and Joe South) made the prospect of next month’s album release remain a promising one. Still, from this show, it would seem that Clark and Olson could benefit from a back-to-electric movement.