• Voto:
Non riesco ancora a capire come e perché sia successo. Date le premesse musicali, niente lasciava presagire un così totale innamoramento.
Eh sì, perchè di questo si tratta: credo di avere un debole per gli Espers. No nessun colpo di fulmine momentaneo, come ne capitano a decine durante un anno di ascolti, ma oramai un lungo e duraturo rapporto, sempre in crescendo almeno da fine 2006. Li avevo sentiti di sfuggita ai tempi dell'esordio, bollandoli come "pallosi". Ma, grazie ad un utente del nostro caro DeBaser, provai a recuperare il secondo album. Non l'ho ancora ringraziato abbastanza.
Riesco ad ascoltare gli Espers in qualsiasi momento, pur essendo un gruppo prettamente notturno e malinconico/psichedelico, tanto soave la voce femminile, quanto disturbat(n)ti gli interventi della chitarra iperdistorta. Uno strano connubio di piedi ben radicati in America (il gruppo è di Philadelphia) ma di teste perse nelle nebbiose brughiere d'Albione, tali e tanti sono i riferimenti al variegato panorama folk britannico. Talmente bravi da riuscire ad ammaliare anche con un EP di traditional riarrangiati e cover, spesso prese da fonti inaspettate rispetto alla loro musica.
Giuro che mi commuovo spesso quando ascolto i violoncelli e le voci che duettano dritte verso il cielo notturno di "Black Is The Color", o l'afflato pastorale che trasfigura "Afraid" presa dal repertorio di Nico. Diverse ma sempre a cuore aperto le sensazioni dei due brani migliori del disco: "Blue Mountain" di Michael Hurley (mai visto né sentito), è un mantra campestre, ma in una brughiera frequentata da ectoplasmi travestiti da synth; "Flaming Telepaths" dei Blue Oyster Cult, dura il doppio dell'originale, partendo placida, per poi slanciarsi verso il rumore bianco di una sei corde schiumante rabbia. E trovano anche il modo di alleggerire le loro atmosfere con una cover dei Durutti Column, "Tomorrow", roba da aprire le finestre la mattina alle 7, e sorridere al nuovo giorno, manco fossimo al Mulino Bianco.
Non provate ad ascoltare gli Espers con l'orecchio cinico del fine intenditore, o di "quello che la sa lunga", non vi daranno niente, e forse vi irriteranno pure. Ma se provate ad aprire loro le porte del cuore e della mente, o meno enfaticamente, provate ad ascoltarli senza preconcetti, vi si svelerà un mondo di emozioni che pensavate perdute.
Scaricateli, ascoltateli, comprateli.
In una parola, amateli.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
01 Rosemary Lane (04:38)
When I was in service in Rosemary Lane
I won the good will of my master Amberdine
Until a young sailor came there to stay
And that was the beginning of my misery
He called for a candle to light him to bed
Aand likewise a silk hankerchief to tie up his hair
To tie up his hair as sailors will do,
"And third my pretty Polly, will you come too?"
Now this may seem young and foolish, she thought it no harm
To lie on the bed to keep herself warm
And what was done there, I shall never disclose
But I wish that short night had been seven long years
So early next morning this sailor arose
And into my pockets 3 guineas did throw
Saying"Tthis I will give and more I will do
If you'll be my Polly wherever I go"
Now if it's a boy, he'll fight for the King
And if it's a girl she'll wear a gold ring
She'll wear a gold ring and a dress all aflame
And remember my service in Rosemary Lane
When I was in service in Rosemary Lane
I won the good will of my master Amberdine
Until a young sailor came there to stay
And that was the beginning of my misery
02 Tomorrow (04:06)
( Durutti Column Cover )
All I wanted was your time
All you ever gave me was tomorrow
All I wanted was your time
All you ever gave me was tomorrow
And tomorrow never comes
Tomorrow never comes
Tomorrow never comes
Tomorrow never comes
Tomorrow never comes
People stood in a line with flowers
They were only waiting for the moment
And I know the feeling so well
I've been waiting for you for so long
And I know the feeling so well
I've been waiting for you for so long
And tomorrow never comes
Tomorrow never comes
Tomorrow never comes
Tomorrow never comes
Tomorrow never comes
04 Afraid (03:11)
( Nico Cover )
Cease to know or to tell
Or to see or to be your own
Cease to know or to tell
Or to see or to be your own
Have someone else's will as your own
Have someone else's will as your own
You are beautiful and you are alone
You are beautiful and you are alone
Often the adolescent plague
Reward your grace
Often the adolescent plague
Reward your grace
Confuse your hunger capture the fake
Confuse your hunger capture the fake
Banish the faceless reward your grace
Banish the faceless reward your grace
05 Blue Mountain (04:47)
Yonder stands blue mountain
Oh, yonder stands blue mountain
Oh, yonder stands my home
Oh, yonder stands my home
Where the blueberries are a-bloomin'
Where the blueberries are a-bloomin'
I'm gonna make some blueberry wine
I'm gonna make some blueberry wine
If I ever ride again
If I ever ride again
I'm riding back to my blueberry land
Well, I'm riding back to my blueberry land
06 Flaming Telepaths (09:58)
( Blue Ã-yster Cult Cover )
Well I've opened up my veins too many times
And the poison's in my heart and in my mind
Poison's in my bloodstream, poison's in my pride
I'm after rebellion, I'll settle for lies
Is it any wonder that my mind's on fire
Imprisoned by the thoughts of what you do
Is it any wonder that the joke's an iron
And the jokes on you
Experiments that failed too many times
Transformations that were too hard to find
Poison's in my bloodstream, poison's in my pride
I'm after rebellion, I'll settle for lies
Yes I know the secrets of the iron and mind
They're trinity acts a mineral fire
Yes I know the secrets of the circuitry mind
It's a flaming wonder telepath
Well I've opened up my veins too many times
And the poison's in my heart and in my mind
Poison's in my bloodstream, poison's in my pride
I'm after rebellion, I'll settle for lies
Is it any wonder that my mind's on fire
Imprisoned by the thoughts of what you do
Is it any wonder that the joke's an iron
And the jokes on you
And the joke's on you...
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