• Voto:
Si può dire che un passo generazionale si è completato e che l'influenza di maestri contemporanei (tutt'ora in attività) comincia a farsi sentire in schiere di allievi più giovani.
I Catherine Wheel fanno parte dell'organigramma dell'indie-rock britannico, ma al tempo stesso si stagliano sullo sfondo di questo ampio scenario per alcune rilevanti peculiarità. L'allusione all'architettura gotica medievale contenuta nel nome suggerisce un ipotetico profilo stilistico: globalmente leggibile come un progetto Gothic Rock queste musiche sono in realtà qualcosa di più policromatico, parafrasando il titolo dell'album.
La matrice del suono è post-Manchester, rock denso e corposo, con gli Stone Roses come primo riferimento. L'unione di melodie delicate e chitarre distorte stile Wall of Sound dimostra che l'insegnamento di The Jesus And Mary Chain di "Darklands" e "Honey's Dead" è stato assimilato alla perfezione, essendo altresì l'opera in esame un diamante non più grezzo, ma finemente intagliato che riluce della malinconia romantica dei più recenti Cocteau Twins (leggiadri ed eterei) e Cure (guitar-driven e in perfetto equilibrio tra grandi spazi e intimità).
I vari episodi accentuano ora l'una ora l'altra componente: l'indie rock con le coloriture del dream-pop si può apprezzare in "I Confess" e "Half Life", in altri casi le partiture armoniche sono più estese e imponenti, come accade in "Pain", uno dei migliori episodi dell'album (in cui riecheggia il rock ampio e spaziale di "From The Edge of The Deep Green Sea"), o in "Strange Fruit"; la perfetta simbiosi architettonica tra i vari elementi viene raggiunta in "Brocken Head": drumming cadenzato, potente in perfetto post-wave style (alla "Bullet The Blue Sky"), una melodia suadente che richiama i Ride di "Chrome Waves", e il mood space-psichedelico che caratterizza i migliori Spiritualized.
Forse lo sperimentalismo della suite "Ursa Major Space Station" si attesta sullo stesso (alto) livello, in questo caso allo space rock onirico si unisce l'elettronica di impronta ambient-dub. Tra rock britannico entrato ormai nella dimensione della classicità iconica e (più o meno) nuovi suoni pertinenti sfere stilistiche diverse (dub elettronico, shoegazing, nuova psichedelia...) i Catherine Wheel dimostrano una notevole padronanza nella lezione appresa dai vari antesignani, nonché un'ottima abilità nella sistemazione dei vari elementi (post-wave, dark, rock gotico) nella loro architettura stilistica, essendo forse, tuttavia l'apporto originale l'elemento più limitato, e (per il momento) limitante: a mio parere le potenzialità ci sono, la bellezza scultorea di quest'opera ne è la più evidente testimonianza, resta da attendere che il tempo fluisca "in levare" eliminando inutili scorie e liberando del tutto il talento di questi musicisti e la bellezza di queste Canzoni.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Kill Rhythm (03:51)
I wanna fire a gun - show me
I wanna be unseen - show me
A deep disguise
A deep disguise
Five years of nothing good
Still screaming
Shout this secrets out
Deep, distant and pure
Deep, distant and pure
Kill rhythm
Deep feelings, I'm keeping, still dreaming
Now, my secrets out
Deep, distant and pure
I wanna walk on air - show me
It's gonna feel so rare - show me
Don't wanna look suspicious or undone
But I really think this rhythm is the only one
Five years of nothing good
And still screaming
Shout, get this secret out
Deep, distant and pure
Deep feelings, I'm keeping, cold comfort,
Shout - this secrets out
Deep, distant and pure
Deep, distant and pure
I wanna fire the gun - show me
I wanna be unseen - show me
A deep disguise
To kill this guy
Finalize the rhythm
The rhythm
Deep feelings I'm seeking, kill rhythm
Shout this secrets out
Deep, distant and pure
Deep, distant and pure
02 I Confess (03:55)
Oh my blue-eyed boy
Built something to destroy
Is it getting high?
High
Oh you cheeky face
Shirt open to the waist
Now it's really getting cold
One more paranoia, I don't want another
Oh yes I confess, I don't want another
Yes you handsome man
Wicked boy, you sycophant
Are you ready to feel?
Deep stress, nothing new
Anxiety to use
Coming through the door
One more paranoia, I don't want another
Oh yes I confess, I don't want another
Ah... Ah...
Taken many drugs, popped so many pills
Gasp at my adventures, marvel at my thrills
One more paranoia, I don't want another
Oh yes I confess, I don't want another
One more poison thought, don't want another
Yes, yes I confess, I don't want another
03 Crank (03:45)
Love my superstitious games
Running circles round my brain when I'm left smiling
I love to steal this living steam
My head in someone's dream
I'm tired of sleeping
Call me crank, my idea
Crank, so super
Crank, my conscience clear
I build my canopy of steel
It fulfills my sense of real
A chrome protection
Call me crank, my idea
Crank, so super
Crank, my conscience clear
It's clear
In this small partition, like a prison
Explode time bomb
If you know where I come from
You call me crank, my idea
Crank, so super
Crank, my conscience clear
Please call me crank, it's what I need
Crank, my mind in seed
Crank, my dream complete
Lay down, lay down, lay down
06 Strange Fruit (03:08)
I've been inside this fruit when juices flow
But the taste is just a memory you hold
There is no real decay
No feeling of the skin
No juice
Strange fruit, strange fruit, strange fruit
It never lets that sun out
Strange fruit
This is sweet the soul the flesh I wish
It's the liquid that I miss
There is no real decay
The flesh is barely bruised
It's no use
Strange fruit, strange fruit
Sonic juice inside my head
This fever is so concentrated
Oh no what a shame...
Climb the tree and shake this passion down
But this fruit won't even kiss the ground
There is no real decay
The flesh is barely grazed
There's no way
Strange fruit, strange fruit, strange fruit
07 Chrome (03:54)
Can't you accept this flower hasn't grown?
Kick away the petals and come home
This is all she said
But there's something in me cold within me
A beast inside me, bold inside me
I find myself in chains
I find myself in chains
But if I had some time
I'd use it this time
Fix myself I will, I hope it's this time
And if I could only see the subtle things you see
I'd think myself so brave in victory
Step inside everything, everything's all clear
Maybe I could find some inspiration here
Because it's time to fix this thing
It's time to fix this thing
But if I had some time
I hope it's this time
Escape to somewhere beautiful
Then maybe I could really see the subtle things you see
I'd consider it such rare and privileged company
No, no, no, no
But never again, never again, never again
I'm just too close to winning
And I find myself in chains
And it's time to fix this thing
'Cos if I had some time
I'd use it this time
Escape to something beautiful
'Cos underneath the steel and rust and oil and shit
There's chrome just shining chrome
A mirror finish of my own
Alive inside this chrome, home, home, home
08 The Nude (03:52)
You're making me doubt myself
This feeling I know so well
Visions of naked greed
Are visions I just don't need
Far deep, phantom seeking, I can see
The nude that broke my heart
The nude that broke my heart
Far from living, I can see
The nude that broke my heart
The nude that broke my heart
The texture of moistened skin
All over this skin I've been
Skin that's been angel stretched
No muscle or excess flesh
Far deep, phantom seeking, I can see
The nude that broke my heart
The nude that broke my heart
Far from living, I can see
The nude that broke my heart
The nude that broke my heart
You're making me doubt myself
This feeling I know so well
Feeling of naked lust
This feeling I love so much
Far deep, phantom seeking oh you are
The nude that broke my heart
The nude that broke my heart
Phantom breathing oh you are
The nude that broke my heart
The nude that broke my heart
Upon the wall, the life is drawn
The love is lost, the truth will fall
The sinking ship, the sinking soul
The final fear
The picture on the wall
09 Ursa Major Space Station (05:09)
There's no doubt
Of the future in my head
It's all worked out
I'd hate it to go left unsaid
I'd follow you through time
'Til it's not worth living
And if somewhere there's a sign
That I just don't know
Then I just won't show you
I'll make it easy
All the time
Shake it out
There's no doubt
of the purpose in my mind
It's all worked out
I'll make it easier to find
I'd follow you through time
'Til it's not worth living
And if somewhere there's a sign
That I just don't know
Then I just won't show you
I'll make it easy
All the time
Shake it out
It's no crime
From the middle
From the sides
Shake it out
Shake it out
Ahs
Ahs
Let's take a rocket ship to Mars
And anchor off the satellite for lonely hearts
Such a special place
In outer space
12 Show Me Mary (03:19)
Mary sticks her tongue out, it's a sign
Two fingers is a magical state
And she promised me she'd show me why
I don't think I can wait
Hey, hey, hey, hey, show me Mary
How does it go? Show me Mary
Show me Mary
This flower is a living cusp, but how it kills
Infectious beyond all that's fair
And if I succumbed while standing here
Would you really care?
How does it work? Show me Mary
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, show me Mary
Show me Mary
Mary took a dive when it suited her most
No surprise you are sucked you construct for yourself
Or are you really someone else?
Breezing through somebody's hell
Purifying as you go
No, no, no, no, show me Mary
Where have you been? Show me Mary
Show me Mary
Show me Mary
Show me Mary
Show me Mary
Show me Mary
Show me Mary
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