• Voto:
Per recensire questo disco bisogna partire da alcune precisazioni: è ufficialmente il loro ultimo album, come annunciato dal frontman della band; ho letto di tutto su questo cd, ma la costante è che tutte le recensioni si rifacevano ai paragoni con The Sophtware Slump, il disco unanimente (o quasi ) considerato loro capolavoro, considerando questo un'involuzione o un peggioramento - quasi non fosse lecito cambiare e questo disco fosse una maledizione! Va detto che The Sophtware Slump rimane il loro capolavoro, perchè è geniale, ma imperfetto; quasi di difficile ascolto con quelle lunghissime pianure di suoni obliqui, low-fi, elettronici e chitarre fuzzy. Quest'album invece è una degna evoluzione, un disco in divenire sull'idea musicale del gruppo: meno geniale e più pop-olare, ma incredibilmente equilibrato e curato, pur rimanendo un luminoso faro del panoroma indie.
Un ottimo addio, un compendio di quello che i Grandaddy sono stati e sarebbero potuti diventare, il che ci lascia ancora più tristi. Gli ingredienti ci sono tutti: magiche intro e stacchetti strumentali; due pezzi (Jeez Louise e Elevate Myself) che ritornano ai fasti delle chitarre acide e ai suoni "Bontempi" di Under The Western Freeway; una ballata malinconica (Summer it's gone) e una ballata psichedelica, lieve e triste (The animal world) che tanto mi ricorda So You'll aim toward the sky di The Sophtware Slump; e poi il classico pezzo tirato simil-punk, che ricorda Florida dell'ultimo ep, la Song 2 del disco (50%); una simil-bossanova (Where I'm animore) con un assolino stucchevole ma perfetto e un micidiale ritornello miagolante - ascoltare per capire; due pezzi (Campershell Dreams e Disconnecty) che rimandono ai Blur low-fi e sperimentali di 13; e poi gli altri pezzi tra cui le riuscitissime Rear view Mirror e Guide down denied, in puro vecchio stile Grandaddy con coretti d. o. c. , sinth e keyboards. Per finire la bella This is how it always starts e la ghost track con un pianoforte molto Muse prima maniera sopra cui il cantante mugula "I'll never return". Titoli di coda - fine. Triste.
Sia che siate vecchi affezionati del gruppo, sia che vogliate avvicinarvi a loro per la prima volta, non rimarrete delusi. Non il disco più bello? Sicuramente il più riuscito.
Elenco tracce testi e video
02 Jeez Louise (03:41)
Remembering Jeez Louise
And all of the bedroom window screens
Thrown away for our teenage dreams
Shacked up at Modesto Inn
And all of a sudden your mom crashed in
And she said: "No, she's not the one for you"
Yeah, your mom, she always hated me
Grab your keys, your clothes, your shoes
Jeez Louise you should have avoided me
Jeez Louise
Remembering Jeez Louise
A blanket in the summer evening breeze
Secrets shared in our youth released
Then one day they took you away
And all of a sudden your mom called me
And she said: "No, she's not the one for you"
Yeah, your mom, she always hated me
So just leave her broken, please
Jeez Louise you should have avoided me
Jeez Louise
Jeez Louise
Jeez Louise
05 Rear View Mirror (06:08)
Rear view mirror
Rear view mirror
Rear view mirror
Rear view mirror
What the hell
While I've been trying to drive somewhere
Real and nearer
Real and nearer
Rear view mirror
Don't wanna live life looking through a
What the hell, well
I've been trying to drive somewhere
Real and nearer
Real and nearer
Real and nearer
To boldly go no normal Joe or Jack or Jeff had ever been
Pass it slow, it's told you so, it's might as well give up, old friend
To boldly go no normal Joe or Jack or Jeff had ever been
Pass the classic no you never will and which is why we can
Which is why we can
Which is why we can
Don't wanna live life looking through a
To boldly go no normal Joe or Jack or Jeff had ever been
Pass it slow, it's told you so, it's might as well give up, old friend
To boldly go no normal Joe or Jack or Jeff had ever been
Pass the classic no you never will and which is why we can
Which is why we can
Which is why we can
Rear view mirror
Don't wanna live life looking through a
07 Skateboarding Saves Me Twice (03:22)
Skateboarding ...
Skateboarding saves me twice
Skateboarding saves me twice
08 Where I'm Anymore (06:07)
Ten million pounds of plastic baby stuff there beyond the doors
Garage sale sunday and I don't know where I'm anymore
Knee-highs riding little pink bikes in the middle of the road
Garage sale sunday and I don't know where I'm anymore
Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow
Where I'm anymore
Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow
Where I'm anymore
There was a punch-out
Happened at the take-out, a tweaker and a dog
It seems that the dog stole a blanket
From the tweaker in the park
But cheapshots happen
When thermometers are yellin' one-o-four
Garage sale sunday and I don't know where I'm anymore
Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow
Where I'm anymore
Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow
Where I'm anymore
An icecream truck each night plays 'don't believe the hype'
For oil stained driveways with exercise equipment piled high
All this seen from a yellow lawn hittin' eighty-four
Garage sale sunday and I don't know where I'm anymore
Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow
Where I'm anymore
Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow
Where I'm anymore
10 Guide Down Denied (06:32)
Guide down denied
I might drift forever more
But I’d sure like to come ashore
Sometime
Guide down denied
All my friends are home indoors
Reading ‘bout me, feeling sorry for
The guy who tried
But ended up
Guide down denied
Guide down denied
Guide down denied
Guide down denied
(Denied)
Guide down denied
Did you wait for me to show?
Get pissed off and finally go?
Guide down denied
I don’t wanna drift no more
I don’t wanna be the story
Of the guy who tried
And ended up
Guide down denied
Guide down denied
Guide down denied
Guide down denied
12 Campershell Dreams (03:44)
You don't have to be alone anymore
Good company's a gift
You don't have to be alone anymore
Go ahead, dispel the myth
You don't have to be alone anymore
Sad letters on the drift
You don't have to be alone anymore
That really ain't no way to live
You don't have to be alone anymore
Good company's a gift
You don't have to be alone anymore
Go ahead, dispel the myth
You don't have to be alone anymore
Sad letters on the drift
You don't have to be alone anymore
That really ain't no way to live
13 Disconnecty (03:34)
Dearest Mom
Your yearling son
Has sent a message through
He's disconected, but he still loves you
Weather lies and motor rules
The color printer blues
On the engine air his thoughts flow through to you
Disconnecty said to disconnect
But has he read the tiny text
That said to disconnect
He'd best decide
The rest of all your life
Will be your right to fly alone
Forever more
Dearest Mom
Your yearling son
Has sent a message through
He's disconected, but he still loves you
Disconnecty said to disconnect
But has he read the tiny text
That said to disconnect
He'd best decide
The rest of all your life
Will be your right to fly alone
Forever more
And ever more
14 This Is How It Always Starts (06:46)
This is how it always starts
All order falls apart
Okay, so who put this key in the mix?
Things were stable yesterday
But now they're blown away
Oh shit, I can't let them see me like this
Nothing sweet
Nothing nice
Nothing kiss, only fights
Nothing clear
Nothing bright
Nothing I'll feel tonight
Nothing great
Nothing good
Nothing is as it should
Nothing rad
Nothing right
Nothing I'll feel tonight
This is how it always starts
Dumb choices from the heart
Oh shit, I can't let them see me like this
Nothing sweet
Nothing nice
Nothing kiss, only fights
Nothing clear
Nothing bright
Nothing I'll feel tonight
Nothing great
Nothing good
Nothing is as it should
Nothing rad
Nothing right
Nothing I'll feel tonight
15 Shangri-La (outro) (02:16)
I'll never return (I'll never return)
I'll never return to Shangri-La (I'll never return)
Never return to Shangri-La (I'll never return)
Never return (I'll never return)
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