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La prima volta che ho assistito alla proiezione di quel delizioso film che è "Little Miss Sunshine" alla prima nota della colonna sonora mi sono detto: "Io sto pezzo lo conosco!". Sapevo di avere già ascoltato quella musica, ma presa così a pezzetti non riuscivo a contestualizzarla; mi godo il film e attendo la fine della proiezione per scoprire quali fossero gli artisti usati per le musiche. Attesa premiata dal mio annuire soddisfatto nel leggere il nome dei DeVotchKa, un quartetto di Denver attivo da più di un lustro.
L'album da cui è tratta praticamente tutta la colonna sonora si intitola "How It Ends" ed è uscito nel 2004. E non a caso ho citato un film, dato che la tensione cinematica di questa musica è davvero debordante e credo sia stato un preciso intento dei musicisti scegliere questa strada (soprattutto se si confronta questo lavoro coi precedenti). Sospeso tra american folk, mariachi, musica balcanica e spunti orchestrali è una gioia per le orecchie, in cui ancor più che per la bellezza in sè dei brani resterete affascinati dalle intense suggestioni che questi riescono a dare. Confezionato con una compattezza monolitica, il disco scorre via tutto insieme, davvero come fosse una pellicola, solo che i registi siete voi. Non lasciatevi scappare la ballata che dà il titolo al disco ("How It Ends"), di una bellezza cristallina, dalla sua frase (prima accennatta col pianoforte e poi lasciata trasportare dagli archi) che in un lampo ti strappa dai tuoi pensieri e ti porta via in un'altra dimensione, per sette-minuti-sette di emozioni. Non è da meno lo stupendo pastiche mariachi-balcanico "We're leaving", che ti scolla dalla sedia e ti lancia in danze gitane intorno ad un fuoco, mentre il vino scorre a fiumi e l'aria diviene elettrica.
Il legame col cinema è talmente marcato che si tolgono pure uno sfizio citando Yann Tiersen con un pezzo che guarda caso si intitola "Charlotte Mittnacht (The Fabulous Destiny Of...)" e che è perfetto, come clima, stile, intenzione, per la colonna sonora dell'indimenticabile "Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain". Non posso non citare altri brani davvero belli come la ballata crepuscolare "You Love Me" o la trascinante "The Enemy Guns", posti in apertura del disco.
Al termine dell'ascolto l'unico difetto che gli si può attribuire è di eccedere in alcuni momenti in quella querula malinconia balcanica che per chi non è proprio addentro in certe situazioni musicali è un po' difficile da mandar giù, ma in un disco di 14 brani c'è talmente tanta carne al fuoco (soprattutto nei primi 8 brani) che basta poco per rimettere le cose a posto.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 You Love Me (04:02)
Under the mother eyes of the Mexican sky
She was happy and it shows in the sun
And it was fate laid in stone
Sacred heart, sacred ground
Her two children and we moved as one
And you said you loved me
You said you loved me
Now there’s something missing
when you’re kissing me
It’s subtle yet it’s gone
And then I’m suspicious
And then it gets vicious
And then it’s a hole right through the heart
And you said you loved me
I thought you loved me
Now there is an ocean of time
Between your life and mine
You look happy and you’re married again
And oh my Lord how you’ve grown
To find me still alone
I am humble
I’m still trying to forget
When you said you loved me
I thought you loved me
02 The Enemy Guns (04:21)
Oh my love
Here in our darkest hour
It is you, my desert flower
That I am dreaming of
We’re up to our neck in foreign soil
We are the sacramental spoils
And they love to choke
The rivers with my brothers’ blood
We have given our bodies
To the Mexican army
But my heart and soul
Belong to you my love
So let the enemy guns
Cut me to ribbons
For my eternal soul
Will know the way back home
Sobre viviendo
Si sangre mi cuerpo
Para …
And I have given my body
To the Mexican army
But my heart and soul
Belong to you my love
So let the enemy guns
Cut me to ribbons
For my eternal soul
Will know the way back home
Sobre viviendo
Si sangre mi cuerpo
Esta … doloroso
So …
05 How It Ends (06:59)
Hold your grandmother’s Bible to your breast.
Gonna put it to the test.
You want it to be blessed.
And in your heart,
You know it to be true,
You know what you gotta do.
They all depend on you.
And you already know.
Yeah, you already know how this will end.
There is no escape,
From the slave-catchers’ songs.
For all of the loved ones gone.
Forever’s not so long.
And in your soul,
They poked a million holes.
But you never lettem show.
C’mon it’s time to go.
And
You
Already know.
Yeah, you already know
How this will end.
Now you’ve seen his face.
And you know that there’s a place,
In the sun,
For all that you’ve done,
For you and your children.
No longer shall you need.
You always wanted to believe,
Just ask and you’ll receive,
Beyond your wildest dreams.
And
You
Already know.
Yeah, you already know
How this will end.
You already know (You already know)
You already know (you already know)
You already love will end
07 We're Leaving (04:42)
Raise your glasses please into a toast
For we are many hometown ghosts.
Let it spill all over the floor.
What the hell are you saving it for?
On June, July, August, September.
Let's drink 'em all, I don't want to remember.
These have been the best years of our lives.
It's a shame my dear,
There's no room for lost years.
So we're leaving, we're leaving tonight.
You look lovely lying wasted on your bed,
Staring at a photograph of you and your best friend.
They said make a cross over your hearts,
And we'll swear we'll never drift apart.
It's a shame my dear,
To be leaving you here.
But we're leaving, we're leaving tonight.
Oh my heroes, my brothers, where have you gone?
There is something in the air, something is wrong.
Where is my father, my mother, my sister, my lover?
Have you all gone over to the other side?
It's a shame my dears,
There's no room for me here.
So I'm leaving, I'm leaving tonight.
08 Dearly Departed (05:12)
Sweetheart
How I miss your heart
Beating next to mine
The right words
Were always hard to find
When all our time was fine
When darling you were mine, all mine
And I know, I know you had no choice
But I how I miss your voice
Singing right with mine
Flesh of my flesh
Soul of my soul
I come back home
All this darkness, cannot hurt us
Cause they made you from the light
Here on birthplace, don't be nervous
You will make it through, this night
Sweetheart
How I miss your heart
Beating next to mine
Flesh of my flesh
Soul of my soul
I come back home
09 Such a Lovely Thing (04:40)
It’s an elusive thing
This love of which you sing
What are we doing
What are we doing?
I will give you anything
Just please don’t stop singing
The world will stop spinning round
You’re such a lovely thing
But there is ice forming
Upon your pretty wings
What are you protecting?
I’ll give you everything
And you could wear this ring
But you only love me
You only love me when I’m leaving
You only love me cause I’m leaving
You only love me when I’m leaving
You only love me cause I’m leaving here tonight
You’re such a lovely thing
But there is ice forming
Upon your pretty wings
Why are you lying?
I will give you anything
Just please don’t stop singing
The world will stop spinning round
It’s an elusive thing
This love of which you sing
What are we doing
What are we doing here?
And I will give you anything
And you could wear my ring
But you only love me
You only love me when I’m leaving
You only love me cause I’m leaving you
You only love me cause I’m leaving
You only love me when I’m leaving here with you
10 Too Tired (04:00)
There is no moon reflecting in your eyes
no romantic midnight skies
no motive to diguise
It's not your man that you're dreaming of
your heart couldn't care enough
you're too tired to be in love
You wnat to know, what's that god awful sound
something's draging on the ground
the machine is breaking down
and you never asked for more than you deserved
no shallow poetic words
from a song you've never heard
and it's not your man...
It's nobofies fault
sometimes these things come to a screeching halt
regretful of the past
you know these things won't last
a life time gone so fast
these things will never last
It's not your man that you're dreaming of
your heart couldn't care enough
you're too tired to be in love
12 This Place Is Haunted (03:19)
i'll go away,
till there's no one around
then leave your house
when the sun goes down
plant myself
at the first bar i see,
and pour a thousand
drinks in the dream
and you'll be gone
for one more day,
and i'll watch you slip
a little further away from us
and you were right
this place is haunted
change the locks
we are unwanted
drown me in your heat-shaped locket
and store me in your fur coat pocket
and you'll be gone
for one more year,
and i'll watch you slip
a little further away from me
Carico i commenti... con calma
