• Voto:
Conosco “The Story” perché adoro “Grey’s Anatomy”. So che “The Story” è di Brandi Carlile perché l’ho letto nei titoli di coda di un episodio.
“The Story”, per inciso, è un bellissimo brano rock in cui la bella voce della Carlile ricama dapprima dolci melodie – leggeri accordi di chitarra - e poi divampa in un crescendo rabbioso – cori e ritmica in agitazione. “The Story” è anche un album, il secondo della cantante di Ravensdale dopo una serie di EP e registrazioni live. Dato alle stampe nel duemilasette, esso raccoglie tredici momenti musicali che spaziano dal pop-rock da strada extraurbana principale sporcato da una voce a tratti dolcemente roca a delicate cesellature acustiche. A tutto fa da contorno un’aura decisamente folk che conferisce alla musica della Carlile un retrogusto rustico che neanche le “Più gusto” della San Carlo posseggono.
Ad accompagnare lei, dotata chitarrista, troviamo alla ritmica i fratelli Hansenroth (Phil e Tim) e, qua e là a seconda del vento, il violoncello di Josh Neumann. Alla corte della pregevolissima title-track, tra i brani degni di nota figurano la soave cantilena di “Josephine”, accompagnata dalla sola chitarra, il bel crescendo dell’iniziale “Late Morning Lullaby” e la bella “Turpentine”, del resto anch’essa utilizzata dalla balossa Shonda Rhimes come colonna sonora alle vicende del “Seattle Grace Hospital”.
Parlando degli altri brani, mi pare opportuno dire solamente che taluni di essi giocano particolarmente sull’espressività (notevole) della bella voce della cantautrice e, spesso, sull’efficacia di cori da vigilia di Natale – penso alla musicalità di “Downpourt”, all’introspezione di “Cannonball”; penso all’intensità di “Have You Ever” ed alla quiete della conclusiva “Again Today” (purtroppo aggravata dalla solita abitudine della ghost-track - qui peraltro non malvagia – che, grazie ai minuti di buio, crea tracce dalla durata emersonlakepalmeriana anche negli album di Cesare Cremonini). Talaltri brani risultano di contro piacevoli cavalcate musicali sui destrieri della ritmica: ne sono esempio “Wasted”, la tirata “Until I Die” e “My Song” – brano quest’ultimo decisamente bello.
Completano l’album l’evocativa “Shadow On The Wall” e la ruvida “Losing Heart”, brani che, seppur nulla aggiungendo a quanto detto, impreziosiscono il valore di un lavoro raffinato e viscerale. Un’ottima scoperta, insomma: “The Story” risulta essere un album fresco, ben eseguito, solido e senza alcun momento a vuoto. Magari non avrà questa originalità clamorosa, ma del resto quasi nessuno l’ha più, oggigiorno.
E la bella Brandi è ancora giovane, in fondo.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Late Morning Lullaby (03:27)
As soon as my eyes shut the slide show begins
Yesterday is gone now and panic sets in
With a weight upon my chest
and a ghost upon my back
And the numbing sensation of everything
I lack that leaves me
Dreaming, dreaming, dreaming,
Your real world away
And beautiful, o beautiful bright eyes, lie
Only beautiful, o beautiful bright eyes cry
Singing late morning lullaby
The first sign of morning is gray and alarming
It's so disappointing the day has come so soon
While the rest of the world greets the day and feels new
I will push it away just like I always do, I will be
Dreaming, dreaming, dreaming,
Your real world away
And beautiful, o beautiful bright eyes, lie
Only beautiful, o beautiful bright eyes cry
Singing late morning lullaby
Late morning lullaby
I would darken my window so I can fall asleep
While the critics frown down on the hours
I keep that leave me
Dreaming, dreaming, dreaming,
Your real world away
02 The Story (03:58)
All of these lines across my face
Tell you the story of who I am
So many stories of where I've been
And how I got to where I am
But these stories don't mean anything
When you've got no one to tell them to
It's true...I was made for you
I climbed across the mountain tops
Swam all across the ocean blue
I crossed all the lines and I broke all the rules
But baby I broke them all for you
Because even when I was flat broke
You made me feel like a million bucks
Yeah you do and I was made for you
You see the smile that's on my mouth
Is hiding the words that don't come out
And all of my friends who think that I'm blessed
They don't know my head is a mess
No, they don't know who I really am
And they don't know what I've been through like you do
And I was made for you...
All of these lines across my face
Tell you the story of who I am
So many stories of where I've been
And how I got to where I am
But these stories don't mean anything
When you've got no one to tell them to
It's true...I was made for you
Oh yes, it's true...
I was made for you.......
03 Turpentine (02:58)
I watch you grow away from me in photographs
And memories like spies
And salt betrays my eyes again
I started losing sleep and gaining weight
And wishing I was was ten again
So I could be your friend again
These days we go to waste like wine
That's turned to turpentine
It's six AM and I'm all messed up
I didn't mean to waste your time
So I'll fall back in line
But I'm warning you we're growing up
I heard you found some pretty words to say
You found your little game to play
And there's no one allowed in
Then just when we believe we could be great
Reality it permeates
And conquers from within again
These days we go to waste like wine
That's turned to turpentine
It's six AM and I'm all messed up
I didn't mean to waste your time
So I'll fall back in line
But I'm warning you we're growing up
We're OK I know we're OK
These days we go to waste like wine
That's turned to turpentine
It's six AM and I'm all messed up
I didn't mean to waste your time
So I'll fall back in line
But I'm warning you we're growing up
06 Have You Ever (02:32)
have you ever wandered lonely through the wood?
and everything it feels just as it should
you're part of the life there, part of something good
if you've ever wandered lonely through the woods
ooooh
if you've ever wandered lonely through the woods.
have you ever stared into a starry sky?
lyin on your back you're askin' why?
what's the purpose, I wonder who am I
if you've ever stared into a starry sky
ooooh, aaaah, aaooaaooh
have you ever stared into a starry sky
have you ever been out walking in the snow
tried to get back where you were before
you always end up not knowing where to go
if you've ever been out walking in the snow
ooooh, aaaah, aaooaaooh, ooooh, aaooaaooh
if you'd ever been out walking, you would know
07 Josephine (03:02)
Take me back Josephine
To that cold and dark December
I am missing someone but I don't know who
Now I'm standing alone and I'm trying to remember
Sometimes I wonder how I ever started loving you
Noontime wind can you blow
For me one more time
And take me on back to the start
Where the midnight moon shines so bright
Nearly pulled us up to Heaven
By the strings of our heart
Take me back Josephine
To that cold and dark December
I am missing someone but I don't know who
Now I'm standing alone and I'm trying to remember
Sometimes I wonder how I ever started loving you
Morning sun shine on me
Come light inside my window
And rest on my brow
Kiss my eyes when I sleep
And carry me back home
If my dreams will allow
Take me back Josephine
To that cold and dark December
I am missing someone but I don't know who
Now I'm standing alone and I'm trying to remember
Sometimes I wonder how I ever started loving you
Take me back Josephine
To that cold and dark December
I am missing someone but I don't know who
Now I'm standing alone and I'm trying to remember
Sometimes I wonder how I ever started loving you
Someone help me understand why I'm still loving you
08 Losing Heart (03:35)
I don't mind
If my heart don't beat and
the sun don't shine
They'll get theirs
You'll get yours and I'll get mine
It used to be that everything was easy
Now it's lost and nobody believes me
Am I losing heart
Have I frozen it, oh yeah
Am I pushing too hard
Have I started to forget
I'm alright
Am I made of steel
Am I locked up tight
I'm human
But I'm wide awake and afraid to fight
It used to take nothing to amaze me
But now I'm older and
it doesn't even phase me
Am I losing heart
Have I frozen it, oh yeah
Am I pushing too hard
Have I started to forget
It used to be that everything was easy
Now it's lost and nobody belives me
Am I losing heart
Have I frozen it, oh yeah
Am I pushing too hard
Have I started to forget
11 Downpour (03:14)
I'm like the rain in a downpour
I wash away what you long for
And I wave goodbye with the sun in my eyes
I wish I could be there tonight
I'm like the wind in the canyon
I'm there when I'm gone in a second
You're growing older in peace where you're at
I wish I could be there for that
But I've moved on
Like a rolling stone
In a crowded room
I'm alone
I'm like the rain in a downpour
I wash away what you long for
And I wave goodbye with the sun in my eyes
I wish I could be there tonight
Oh, oh, yeah
You're like the tide in the deep blue
Cause you're always there when I need you
And when you need someone to carry you through
I'm gonna be there for you
I'm gonna be there for you
12 Shadow on the Wall (03:15)
Gone
It's hard for me to see when I'm wrong
It's hard for me to weep when I'm strong
But I could never sleep when you're gone
Oh but still
If you were gonna crucify me
I wouldn't want nobody to see
'Cause you could kick me hard when I'm down
Down, down, down
I don't want wanna be
Nobody's fool
I've played that part so many times before
How long to be
A shadow on the wall
I will make no sound at all
And when the sun goes down
The shadow on the wall
It cannot be seen at all
At all
Over it
Hey it's not that you would mess with my head
I believe that you believe what you said
You think you know me best and you care
But that's not fair!
'Cause I don't really want to be safe
It must have been the way I was raised
Sleep with one eye open I say
Hey hey hey
I don't wanna be
Nobody's fool
I've played that part so many times before
How long to be
A shadow on the wall
I will make no sound at all
And when the sun goes down
The shadow on the wall
It cannot be seen at all
At all
Oh
How long to be
A shadow on the wall
I would make no sound at all
At all
13 Again Today (10:38)
Broken sticks and broken stones
Will turn to dust just like our bones
It's words that hurt the most now isn't it
Are you sad inside, are you home alone
If I could just pick up the phone
Maybe you could see a better day
And you won't waste away
under my watchful eye
Because I'm your hero and you're my weakness
Who's gonna break my fall
When the spinning starts
The colors bleed together and fade
Was it ever there at all
Or have I lost my way
The path of least resistance
Is catching up with me again today
I'm broken down, not good enough
The broken promises add up
To twice their weight in tears which I have caused
I'm afraid to sink, I'm afraid to swim
I'm sad to say I miss my friends
I know that I'm supposed to step away
But they need me to stay and keep a watchful eye
On all my heroes and all their demons
But who's gonna break my fall
When the spinning starts
The colors bleed together and fade
Was it ever there at all
Or have I lost my way
The path of least resistance
Is catching up with me again
Not today
Not today
Was it ever there at all
And have I lost my way
The path of least resistance
Is catching up with me again today
Broken sticks and broken stones
Will turn to dust just like our bones again today
I'm broken down
Not good enough
The broken promises add up again today
Was it ever there at all
And have I lost my way
The path of least resistance
Is catching up with me again today
Again today
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