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DAMIEN RICE - 9
elegia in re minore
Un nuovo disco folk cantautoriale non è certo una novità nel panorama musicale indipendente di questi ultimi anni. Potrebbere essere solo un album acustico in più. Ma non è così quando si tratta di Damien Rice.
A ben quattro anni di distanza dal capolavoro "O", esce in questi giorni "9" (graficamente un po' come "O" ma con un una svirgolata in più). Molti fan aspettano come l'illuminazione la nuova opera del cantautore irlandese... e non voglio deluderli. Forse mancano perle come "Delicate", "The Blower's Daughter" o "Eskimo", eppure ci sono alcuni brani -non tutti, sarebbe un miracolo- che non le fanno rimpiangere. Tanto per cominciare il brano d'apertura "9 Crimes": un pianoforte classico, la voce di Lisa Hannigan, contrappunti di voce e violino, infinita purezza che punta più in alto che mai. Poi la delicatezza del secondo brano "Animals Were Gone", con la sua finale processione di spettri, e la sussurrata limpidezza di "Elephant", che verso i 4:20 esplode spinta dal rullante in un'afflizione orchestrale urlata e sincera.
Purtroppo secondo me dal quarto brano l'originalità del songwriting cala un po': "Rootless Tree" cede leggermente al giovanilismo delle liriche, mentre "Dogs" e "Coconut Skins" sono onestissimo mestiere country arpeggiato o ritmato. "Me, My Yoke, And I" è un tentativo forse fallito di sperimentare un blues leggermente rumoristico: è lo scivolone del disco, alla lunga risulta monotono se non fastidioso. Con "Grey Room" il tono artistico si rialza, nella mite "Accidental Babies" ritroviamo le tipiche atmosfere sognanti e "Sleep Don't Weep" chiude in modo mesto e nostalgico questa seconda prova studio, appena sotto il livello della prima, comunque di altissima qualità se confrontata con le decine di dischi folk degli ultimi anni.
Probabilmente dopo l'ascolto viene da chiedersi se l'autore sia stato sopravvalutato, ma questo solo i prossimi album potranno dircelo: intanto che accantoniamo la domanda per altri quattro anni, godiamoci questo "9".
da "Elephant"
"When you think you're safe
You fall upon your knees
But you're living in your picture
you still forget to breathe,
and she may rise if I sing you down
And she may drive me into the ground"
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 9 Crimes (03:39)
Leave me out with the waste, this is not what I do
It's the wrong kind of place to be thinking of you
It's the wrong time for somebody new
It's a small crime and I've got no excuse
And is that alright with you?
Give my gun away when it's loaded
That alright with you?
If you don't shoot it, how am I supposed to hold it?
That alright with you?
Give my gun away when it's loaded
That alright with you? With you?
Leave me out with the waste, this is not what I do
It's the wrong kind of place to be cheating on you
It's the wrong time, she's pulling me through
It's a small crime and I got no excuse
And is that alright? (Yeah)
Give my gun away when it's loaded
Is that alright? (Yeah)
If you don't shoot it how am I supposed to hold it?
Is that alright with you?
Give my gun away when it's loaded
Is that alright?
Is that alright with you?
That alright? (Yeah)
Give my gun away when it's loaded
Is that alright? (Yeah)
If you don't shoot it how am I supposed to hold it?
Is that alright? (Yeah)
Give my gun away when it's loaded
Is that alright?
Is that alright with you?
Is that alright? (Yeah)
Is that alright? (Yeah)
Is that alright? (Yeah)
Is that alright?
Is that alright?
Is that alright with you?
No...
03 Elephant (05:57)
This has got to die
I said this has got to stop
This has got to lie down
With someone else on top
You can keep me pinned
'Cause it's easier to tease
But you can't paint an elephant
Quite as good as she
And she may cry like a baby
And she may drive me crazy
'Cause I am lately lonely
So why'd you have to lie?
I take it I'm your crutch
The pillow in your pillow case
Is easier to touch
And when you think you've sinned
Do you fall upon your knees?
Or do you sit within your picture?
Do you still forget the breeze?
And she may rise, if I sing you down
And she may wisely cling to the ground
'Cause I am lately horny
So why would she take me thorny?
What's the point of this song? Or even singing?
You've already gone, why am I clinging?
Well I could throw her out, and I could live without
And I could do it all for you
I could be true
Tell me if you want me to lie
'Cause this has got to die
I said this has got to stop
This has got to lie down, down
With someone else on top
You can both keep me pinned
'Cause it's easier to tease
But you can't make me happy
Quite as good as me
Well you know that's a lie
04 Rootless Tree (04:22)
What I want from you, is empty your head
But they say be true, don't stain your bed
And we do what we need to be free
And it leans on me like a rootless tree
What I want from us, is empty our minds
But we fake, we fuss, and fracture the times
We go blind when we needed to see
And this leans on me, like a rootless...
Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you
And all we've been through
I said leave it, leave it, leave it
It's nothing to you
And if you hate me, hate me, hate me
Hate me so good
That you just let me out
Let me out, let me out
It's hell when you're around
Let me out, let me out, let me out
Hell when you're around
Let me out, let me out, let me out
What I want from this, is learn to let go
No, not of you, of all that's been told
Killers re-invent and believe
And this leans on me, like a rootless...
Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you
And all we've been through
I said leave it, leave it, leave it
It's nothing to you
And if you hate me, hate me, hate me
Hate me so good
That you just let me out
Let me out, let me out
It's hell when you're around
Let me out, let me out, let me out
It's hell when you're around
Let me out, let me out, let me out
Hell when you're around
Let me out, let me out, let me out
Hell when you're around
Let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out, let me out
Fuck you, fuck you, love you
And all you've been through
I said leave it, leave it, leave it
It's nothing to you
And if you hate me, hate me, hate me
Hate me so good
That you just let me out
Let me out, let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out, let me out
Hell when you're around
Let me out, let me out, let me out
Hell when you're around
Let me out, let me out, let me out
Hell when you're around
Let me out, let me out, let me out
Hell when you're around
05 Dogs (04:10)
She lives with an orange tree
The girl that does yoga
She picks the dead ones from the ground
When we come over
And she gives
I get
Without giving anything to me
Like a morning sun
Like a morning
Like a morning sun
Good good morning sun
The girl that does yoga
When we come over
Girl that does yoga
He lives in a little house
On the side of a little hill
Picks the litter from the ground
Litter little brother spills
He gives
I get
Without giving anything to me
And the dogs they run
And the dogs they
And the dogs they run
In the good good morning sun
Side of a little hill
Litter little brother spills
Side of a little hill
Oh and she's always dressed in white
She's like an angel, man
She burns my eyes
Oh and she turns
She pulls a smile
We drive her 'round
And she drives us wild
Oh and she moves like a little girl
I become a child, man
She moves my world
And she gets splashed in rain
And turns away
And leaves me standing
She lives with an orange tree
The girl that does yoga
Got a wolf to keep her warm
When he comes over
She gives
He gets
Without giving anything to see
And the day it ends
And the day it
And the day it ends
And there's no need for me
The girl that does yoga
When we come over
The girl that does yoga
06 Coconut Skins (03:45)
You can hold her hand and show her how you cry
Explain to her your weakness so she understands and then roll over and die
You can brave decisions before you crumble up inside
Spend your time asking everyone else's permission then run away and hide
Or you can sit on chimneys, put some fire up your arse
No need to know what you're doing or waiting for but if anyone should ask
Tell them I've been licking coconut skins and we've been hanging out
Tell them God just dropped by to forgive our sins and relieve us our doubt
Oh you can hold her eggs but your basket has a hole
You can lie between her legs and go looking for, tell her you're searching for her soul
You can wait for ages, watch your compost turn to coal
Time is contagious, everybody's getting old
So you can sit on chimneys, put some fire up your arse
No need to know what you're doing or looking for but if anyone should ask
Tell them I've been cooking coconut skins and we've been hanging out
Tell them God just dropped by to forgive our sins and relieve us our doubt
La la la la la la la...
07 Me, My Yoke + I (05:57)
My drum, my drum, my drum
Gonna make ya
My drum, my drum, my drum
Gonna make ya come
My book, my book, my book
Gonna make ya
My book, my book, my book
Gonna make ya look
My hand, my hand, my hand
My hand going under
My hand, my hand, my hand
My hand going understand
My fall, my fall
My fall gonna break ya
My fall, my fall
My fall gonna break your wall
I'm mad, I'm mad, I'm mad
Like a big dog
I'm mad, I'm mad, I'm mad
Like a big dog yeah
My god, my god, my god
Gave me a rod
My god, my god, my god
Gave me a rod
Fishing, fishing, fishing
Fishing, fishing, fishing yeah
Won't you beat
My drum, my drum, my drum
Gonna make ya
Won't you beat, Won't you beat
My drum, my drum, my drum
Gonna make ya come
Won't you read
My book, my book, my book
Gonna make ya
Won't you read, Won't you read
My book, my book, my book
Gonna make ya look
Won't you push
My hand, my hand, my hand
Going under
Won't you push, Won't you push
My hand, my hand, my hand
Going understand
Won't you break
My fall, my fall, my fall
My fall gonna break ya
Won't you break, Won't you break
My fall, my fall, my fall
My fall gonna break your wall
Bang
I'm mad, I'm mad, I'm mad
Like a big dog
Bang, Bang, Bang
I'm mad, I'm mad, I'm mad
Like a big dog yeah
My god, my god, my god
Gave me a rod
My god, my god, my god
Gave me a rod
Fishing, fishing, fishing
Fishing, fishing, fishing yeah
08 Grey Room (05:43)
Well I've been here before
Sat on the floor in a grey, grey room
Where I stay in all day
I don't eat, but I play with this grey, grey food
Desole, if someone is prayin' then I might break out
Desole, even if I scream I can't scream that loud
I'm all alone again
Crawling back home again
Stuck by the phone again
Well I've been here before
Sat on a floor in a grey, grey mood
Where I stay up all night
And all that I write is a grey, grey tune
So pray for me child, just for a while
That I might break out, yeah
Pray for me child
Even a smile would do for now
'Cause I'm all alone again
Crawling back home again
Stuck by the phone again
Have I still got you to be my open door?
Have I still got you to be my sandy shore?
Have I still got you to cross my bridge in this storm?
Have I still got you to keep me warm?
If I squeeze my grape and I drink my wine, yeah
If I squeeze my grape and I drink my wine
Oh 'cause nothing is lost, it's just frozen in frost
And it's opening time, there's no-one in line
But I've still got me to be your open door
I've still got me to be your sandy shore
I've still got me to cross your bridge in this storm
And I've still got me to keep you warm
Warmer than warm, yeah
Warmer than warm, yeah
Warmer than warm, yeah
Warmer than warm, yeah
09 Accidental Babies (06:33)
Well I held you like a lover
Happy hands and your elbow in the appropriate place
And we ignored our others, happy plans
For that delicate look upon your face
Our bodies moved and hardened
Hurting parts of your garden
With no room for a pardon
In a place where no one knows what we have done
Do you come
Together ever with him?
And is he dark enough?
Enough to see your light?
And do you brush your teeth before you kiss?
Do you miss my smell?
Is he bold enough to take you on?
Do you feel like you belong?
Does he drive you wild?
Or just mildly free?
What about me?
Well you held me like a lover
Sweaty hands and my foot in the appropriate place
And we use cushions to cover
Happy glands in the mild issue of our disgrace
Our minds pressed and guarded
While our flesh disregarded
The lack of space for the light-hearted
In the boom that beats our drum
Well I know I make you cry
And I know sometimes you wanna die
But do you really feel alive without me?
If so, be free
If not, leave him for me
Before one of us has accidental babies
For we are in love
Do you come
Together ever with him?
Is he dark enough?
Enough to see your light?
Do you brush your teeth before you kiss?
Do you miss my smell?
And is he bold enough to take you on?
Do you feel like you belong?
And does he drive you wild?
Or just mildly free?
What about me?
What about me?
10 Sleep Don't Weep (21:54)
Sleep don't weep
My sweet love
Your face it's all wet
And your day was rough
So do what you must do
To find yourself
Wear another's shoe
Or paint my shelves
There's times that I was broke
And you stood strong
I think I found a place
Where I ..
Sleep don't weep
My sweet love
Your face it's all wet
'Cause our days were rough
So do what you must do
To fill that hole
Wear another's shoe
To comfort the sole
There's times that I was broke
And you stood strong
I think I found a place
Where I feel I will..
Sleep don't weep
My sweet love
My face it's all wet
'Cause my day was rough
So do what you must do
To find yourself
Wear another's shoe
Or paint my shelves
There's times that I was broke
And you stood strong
I hope I find a place where I feel I belong
Sleep don't weep
My sweet love
My face it's all wet
'Cause my day was rough
Don't weep
My sweet love
My face is all wet
'Cause my days were rough
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Altre recensioni
Di Birbabirba
Dopo un disco di successo si possa tranquillamente realizzarne un altro dello stesso livello.
Poesia allo stato puro che mette brividi e che lascia emozioni pure, reali, da conservare con cura.
Di daduzza
"Se si inizia così sarà dura arrivare alla fine senza piangere di gioia."
"Non c'è una sola canzone che non meriti di essere ascoltata."
