Parlare di Steven Wilson (come dei suoi Porcupine Tree del resto) e' sempre difficile, infatti fa parte di quella tipologia di artisti che vengono a seconda delle varie sensibilita' proclamati Geni o accusati di essere solo buoni plagiatori.

Io devo dire che propendo piu' per la prima ipotesi anche se non tutto della sua produzione mi entusiasma e ammetto che i cliche' di certo Prog sono presentissimi nelle sue opere.

I Blackfield sono uno dei suoi progetti paralleli messi in piedi insieme ad un suo fan israeliano, il polistrumentista Aviv Geffen e dico subito una cosa se cercate il Prog andate da qualche altra parte. Infatti iquesto secondo progetto della superband approfondisce ancor piu' i legami con le sonorita' attualmente di moda nel panorama mondiale, con ampie citazioni Emocore e dotti riferimenti Pop.

So che sa di banale dirlo, ma nonostante queste premesse grazie alle indubbie doti di eleganza sonora del Wilson, queste pericolose influenze non dico che non si sentano (anzi) ma risultano talmente limpide e scevre da compromessi (come se lui stesso non dovesse piu' giustificare il suo legame con musica ben piu' colta), che l'ascoltatore puo' immergersi in un mondo quasi senza peccato, dove il Pop e tutte gli altri riferimenti mainstream sono solo un pretesto per raccontare storie di malinconia e di purificazione.

Sono infatti i sentimenti e l'emotivita' a trascinare tutte quante le canzoni: dalle iniziali "Once" e "1.000 People" con pesantissimi riferimenti Emo, alle piu' ordinarie (ma elegantissime, nella loro fragile struttura Pop) "Miss You" ,"Christenings" e "This Killer" che portano dritte, dritte alla seconda parte del lavoro ,dove le origini Prog del co-autore (non dimentichiamo che le canzoni son state scritte a quattro mani) si sentono di piu', e dove dal buio di una precedente pacatezza si possono sentire di nuovo quei "muri chitarrosi" che a noi tanto piacciono, esemplificative l'emozionante "Epidemic", forse miglior episodio e la conclusiva "End of The World".

Poco piu' di quaranta minuti di musica che esplorano con semplicita' e poche sovrastrutture stilistiche i temi delle emozioni e tentano di riprodurle con buon esito. Certo che si potrebbe gridare anche all'overdose di melassa ascoltando per esempio "Where is my Love?" ma secondo me e' un peccatuccio veniale (insomma non vergogniamoci di cadere ogni tanto nel sentimentalismo, anche se siam o grandi, grossi e barbuti!).

E' inutile dire che i sostenitori del Wilson piu tecnico potranno essere delusi e che al contrario i detrattori spingeranno ancor piu' verso un'idea di un autore irrimediabilmente citazionista, secondo me la verita' sta come al solito nel mezzo, il prodotto e' molto piacevole e a chi e' disposto a lasciar indietro inutili preconcetti emozioni le da pure.

Da affrontare solo con la mente libera.

Elenco tracce testi samples e video

01   Once (04:03)

Want you to know
That I could go anytime
I want you to know

Gave me her lips
Gave me her perfect hips
And I slow down
I slow down in love

Once I rise inside

Once she would hold me
She was my only
Only true love
Once she had told me
That I'm holy
Only so long

She'll stay all night
She'll be so quiet
And she won't laugh at my jokes

Once I rise inside

Once she would hold me
She was my only
Only true love
Once she had told me
That I'm holy
Only so long

02   1,000 People (03:54)

03   Miss U (04:13)

04   Christenings (04:37)

I met you in a record store.
You had slept in the clothes you wore.
But I knew I'd seen you somewhere before.

What happened to your guitar?
And what happened to the prettiest star?
Can you still play the songs that got you so far?

Hey you with your shadow in the gutter,
how low have you got to go before you're through?
High times and vodka in the mornings,
all your memories are coming out of your shoes.


Black dog sitting in the park,
odd looks from the mothers of the devil's own.
Shoplifting, getting your essentials.
Gatecrashing christenings and funerals,
and weddings too.

I used to see you all the time on MTV.
Read your life story in a magazine.
I guess you thought that's the way it would always be.
But I believe in you.
'Cause I think that you want me to.
Though I never really liked your songs, it's true.

05   This Killer (04:06)

Don't leave the door ajar
Don't walk away
Don't leave me in the dark

You think you know me well
It makes me laugh
'Cause I don't know myself

This killer on the run
He steals from me a song
He'll catch me off my guard
He likes me when I'm down
And when I'm sad
Fallen man
Fallen man

It's always me alone
That hears the noise
Cause it's my inner voice

So stay inside your hole
We'll hide away
Before I lose control

This killer on the run
He steals from me a song
He'll catch me off my guard
He likes me when I'm down
And when I'm sad
Fallen man
Fallen man

This killer on the run
He steals from me a song
And I can say I know him well
And so can he, because it's me
He is me
He is me

06   Epidemic (04:59)

Don't say everything's okay
Don't tell me that it's just a phase
It doesn't help me

All the stars are standing still
The anger and the sleeping pills
Are all that's left now

An epidemic in my heart
Takes hold and slowly poisons me
Her will won't let me breathe
It comes in waves and bleeds me dry
This love is slowly killing me
For me, there's no-one else

Jealousy just eats me up
Your knife has made the deepest cut
My heart is popping

You say that there must be an end
But afterwards we'll still be friends
It seemed so easy

An epidemic in my heart
Takes hold and slowly poisons me
Her will won't let me breathe
It comes in waves and bleeds me dry
This love is slowly killing me
For me, there's noone else

07   My Gift of Silence (04:05)

If I compiled all my crimes and my lies into amnesty
Would you come back to me?
The smile on my lips is a sign that I don't hear you leaving me
And I don't hear my own soul scream

I'll read your lips, watch your scarf play at your hips
And I know it's true
But I don't hear him call to you

Don't blame yourself
Don't change yourself
I just wanna be over you, see, if you'll love
Don't hate yourself

If I compiled all my crimes and my lies into amnesty
Would you come back to me?
The smile on my lips is a sign that I don't hear you leaving me
And I don't hear my own soul scream

Don't blame yourself
(don't blame yourself)
Don't change yourself
(don't change yourself)
I just wanna be over you, see, if you'll love
(don't hate yourself)
Don't hate yourself

08   Some Day (04:22)

09   Where Is My Love? (02:59)

Endless fields of emptiness in my dark and wounded heart
Where is my love?
The freezing moment when you turned your head and waved goodbye
Where is my love?
Even all the biggest storms can't take my pain away
Where is my love?
Noisy happy people crossing streets from side to side
Where is my love?
I gave you everything I could but you want the stars
Where is my love?
Endless fields of emptiness in my dark and wounded heart
Where is my love?
Even all the biggest storms can't take my pain away
Where is my love?
Noisy happy people crossing streets from side to side
Where is my love?

10   End of the World (05:13)

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