Riflettevo ultimamente sulla natura fallica della musica rock, sul suo essere principalmente campo da gioco per elucubrazioni, fantasie e ormoni maschili. Anche se ancora in superiorità numerica (in un ottica generale), la diffusione capillare della musica negli ultimi 10 anni, ha generato un proliferare sempre maggiore di band totalmente al femminile, come le signore in questione.

Amano le strutture circolari, le Electrelane, melodie (ma anche no) che passano per il traguardo molteplici volte prima di terminare la corsa, nipoti di un impostazione kraut fra Neu! e Can, e figlie delle divagazioni analogiche dei primi Stereolab. Differenza sostanziale rispetto all'ultimo "Axes", è la gran cura verso le melodie, abbastanza da far storcere il naso ai fan di lunga data. Ma non a me.

Sarà l'estate, con il suo incedere indolente, il sole a picco, lo sciabordio del mare e altre variazioni stereotipiche sul tema, ma tale formula ipnotico melodica mi ha positivamente conquistato. Sia chiaro, le Electrelane non sono diventate una girl band tipo le Pipettes, hanno semplicemente smussato alcuni spigoli, equilibrando in maniera ottima la loro idea di forma canzone. E non rinnegando una ispirata vena psichedelica. Esemplari in tal senso il trittico semi strumentale "Tram 21", una fantasia analogica di marca Stereolab, "Between The Wolf And The Dog", ipnotico inseguirsi di basso e chitarra verso inusitate propaggini desertiche, "Five", andamento sinusoidale e narcolettico il giusto. Ma è l'accentuato lato melodico a riservarci le emozioni meno cerebrali.

Il dittico iniziale "The Greater Times"/"To The East" fa leva su refrain dalla presa immediata, sospinto da ritmiche tanto minimali quanto appiccicose, entrambe perfettamente integrate con la voce stonata di Verity Susman, mai così in primo piano. Geniale anche la mistura Sonic Youth/Pavement di "The Call", o le melodie intimiste di "Saturday" e "At Sea", o la strana ballata "Cut And Run".

Un disco quindi di paternità incerta, ma dato alla luce e cresciuto da quattro madri premurose e musicalmente dotate. Ascolto consigliato sia nel periodo del menarca che in quello dell'ovulazione.

Elenco tracce testi e video

01   The Greater Times (03:42)

You say you don't know what love means anymore
Since I found you
I'm tearing down the walls without you
And I'm getting lost in all the plans that I heard you make
About the older times
About the greater times
Oh I don't know
I don't know anyway

Look up
Look up

I'll keep my eyes on you
Do you remember when you were a child then?
And you laughed when you looked at the moon
There's no meaning anymore
We're floating in the sky

And if you think that we are older now
It's just our heads are butterflies
Are you the one that I've been waiting for?

You say you don't know what love means anymore
Since I found you
I'm tearing down the walls, the walls, the walls...
Are you the one that I've been waiting for?
Are you the one that I've been waiting for?

02   To the East (04:54)

You didn't know where to go
Walking around in this flag-waving town
I saw you waiting for a train
And you disappeared
Your face pressed up to the window

You went so far away
And I want to come there too
I want to be with you
I'm just waiting until you say these words:
"Come back, come back, come back, oh, to me

I'm living near Gdańsk
There's a train, you'd be here soon
There's a life for me and you
The East means so many things
But it could be home, it could be home, it could be home, it could be home
For you and me
It could be home, it could be home, it could be home, it could be home
Come back, come back, come back, oh, to me."

And if you'd ever say those words
I'd come to you, where you are
It's too hard to be apart
The East's not so far away
But it could be home, it could be home, it could be home, it could be home
For you and me
It could be home, it could be home, it could be home, it could be home
Come back, come back, come back
Oh, to me

03   After the Call (03:04)

All the things that I've done
Go around in my head
And I can't forget
All the things she said

All the things that I've done
Go around in my head
And I can't forget
All the things she said

What could I do?
What could I do?
What could I do?
What could I do?

In her eyes
In her eyes
In her eyes
It's all there in her eyes

All the things that I've done
Go around in my head
And I can't forget
All the things she said

What could I do?
What could I do?
What could I do?
What could I do?

04   Tram 21 (04:30)

05   In Berlin (04:14)

06   At Sea (04:47)

07   Between the Wolf and the Dog (04:05)

08   Saturday (03:55)

09   Five (06:25)

10   Cut and Run (03:27)

11   The Lighthouse (04:23)

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