• Voto:
Correva l'anno 2007 quando una simpatica e giovane ragazza faceva capolino nel panorama musicale inglese proponendo canzoni di facile presa e impossibili da togliersi dalla testa, ma al contempo raffinate e concepite con cura. Sempre nello stesso anno, l'appena ventenne Kate Nash, lungi dal diventare quella sorta di Crudelia De Mon femminista e incazzata che è tutt'ora, forte dei buoni risultati ottenuti nelle classifiche britanniche, dava alle stampe questo "Made of Bricks", piccola gemma brit-pop che, a distanza di sei anni dalla pubblicazione, rimane uno dei migliori album pop degli ultimi anni.
Certo, è anche vero che, in un panorama mainstream ormai allo scatafascio quale quello odierno, con le varie Britney Spears e Beyoncé a contendersi il dominio delle classifiche, qualcuno potrebbe giustamente dire che emergere dalla massa sia facile, ma "Made of Bricks" è ben più del classico compitino svolto giusto per fare un po' meglio degli altri: è un disco scritto e cantato con il cuore e curato quasi maniacalmente in ogni minimo particolare senza, miracolosamente, risultare iper-prodotto. Ascoltandolo sembra di leggere le pagine del diario di una giovane donna, con tutti gli umori e i colori che vi si possono trovare: musicalmente ciò si traduce in una gran varietà di pezzi e testi, che spaziano da ballate acustiche ("Birds" e "Nicest Thing") a spensierati tormentoni ("Pumpkin Soup", che stranamente ha avuto un discreto successo anche in Italia, e "Shit Song"), passando anche per parentesi più pungenti ("Dickhead"), altre più malinconiche ("Foundations", "Mouthwash") e descrizioni di personaggi più o meno bizzarri (la coppietta con pochi soldi e tanto "ammmore" della già citata "Birds" e la strana ragazzina protagonista di "Mariella"). Il tutto è accomunato da una non indifferente ricerca del suono, che fa sembrare l'album uscito direttamente dai primi anni '80, pur mantenendo una riconoscibile identità indie: esempio lampante di ciò sono i violini della già citata "Dickhead" o ancora la base da karaoke di "Shit Song"; influenze di questo tipo si mescolano poi a volte con quella di Regina Spektor e il risultato sono pezzi come "We Get On" e "Little Red". Non manca però qualche intuizione più personale e quasi sperimentale, come il ritmo sempre più veloce e isterico di "Mariella" o l'arrangiamento cucito intorno al martellante riff di pianoforte di "Mouthwash" e il progressivo "ammucchiarsi" di strumenti uno sull'altro nella breve intro "Play". Il tutto è coronato da testi sempre ben scritti e cantati e interpretati ottimamente da una voce dal timbro originale, molto confidenziale e intimo, nonché dotata di un marcato quanto accattivante accento british. Degni di lode sono anche la produzione, limpida e in grado di far risaltare ogni singolo strumento, e gli arrangiamenti, curati in tutti i pezzi nei minimi dettagli.
Tirando le somme, quello che abbiamo tra le mani è un disco di ottima fattura, forse non perfetto e privo di quel coraggio nel proporre nuove soluzioni musicali che avrebbero potuto renderlo un capolavoro assoluto (perché, per quanto ben fatto, non apporta alcuna vera innovazione al genere musicale cui appartiene), ma che merita certamente di essere ascoltato, se non altro per avere un piacevole sottofondo in questi caldi pomeriggi d'estate.
Nota: il voto sarebbe 4,5. Ne approfitto dunque per chiedere cortesemente allo staff che gestisce il sito di introdurre la possibilità di assegnare anche i mezzi voti.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Play (01:13)
I like to play
I like to
I like to play play
I like to play
I like to play play
I like to play
Oh
I like to play play
Oh
I like to play play
I like to play play
I like to play play
I like to play play
I like to play
I play all day long in my room
I play all day long in my room
I like to play
02 Foundations (04:05)
Thursday night, everything's fine
Except you've got that look in your eye
When I'm telling a story
And you find it boring
You're thinking of something to say
You'll go along with it then drop it
And humiliate me in front of our friends
Then I'll use that voice that you find annoying
And say something like
"Yeah, intelligent input darling
Why don't you just have another beer then?"
Then you'll call me a *****
And everyone we're with will be embarrassed
And I won't give a !!!!
My fingertips are holding
Onto the cracks in our foundation
And I know that I should let go but I can't
And every time we fight
I know it's not right
Every time that you're upset
And I smile
I know I should forget but I can't
You said I must eat so many lemons
'Cause I am so bitter
I said "I'd rather be with your friends, mate
'Cause they are much fitter"
Yes it was childish
And you got aggressive
And I must admit that I was a bit scared
But it gives me thrills to wind you up
My fingertips are holding
Onto the cracks in our foundation
And I know that I should let go but I can't
And every time we fight
I know it's not right
Every time that you're upset
And I smile
I know I should forget but I can't
Your face is pasty
'Cause you've gone and got so wasted
What a surprise
Don't want to look at your face
'Cause it's making me sick
You've gone and got sick on my trainers
I only got these yesterday
Oh my gosh, I cannot be bothered with this
Well I'll leave you there 'til the morning
And I purposely won't turn the heating on
And dear God, I hope I'm not stuck with this one
My fingertips are holding
Onto the cracks in our foundation
And I know that I should let go but I can't
And every time we fight
I know it's not right
Every time that you're upset
And I smile
I know I should forget but I can't
And every time we fight
I know it's not right
Every time that you're upset
And I smile
I know I should forget but I can't
And every time we fight
I know it's not right
Every time that you're upset
And I smile
I know I should forget but I can't
03 Mouthwash (05:02)
This is my face, covered in freckles with the occasional spot and some veins.
This is my body, covered in skin, and not all of it you can see
And, this, is my mind, it goes over and over the same old lines
And, this, is my brain, it's torturous analytical thoughts make me go insane
And I use mouthwash
Sometimes I floss
I've got a family
And I drink cups of tea
I've got nostalgic pavement
I've got familar faces
I've got mixed-up memories
And I've got favourite places
And I'm singing uh-oh on a Friday night
And I'm singing uh-oh on a Friday night
And I'm singing uh-oh on a Friday night and I hope everything's going to be alright
And I'm singing uh-oh on a Friday night and I hope everything's going to be alright
This is my face, I've got a thousand opinions and half the time to explain
And this is my body, no matter how you try and disable it, yes I'll still be here
And, this, is my mind, and although you try to infringe you cannot confine
And, this, is my brain, and even if you try and hold me back there's nothing that you can gain
'cause I use mouthwash
Sometimes I floss
I've got a family
And I drink cups of tea
I've got nostalgic pavement
I've got familar faces
And I've got a mixed-up memories
And I've got favourite places
And I'm singing uh-oh on a Friday night
And I'm singing uh-oh on a Friday night
And I'm singing uh-oh on a Friday night and I hope everything's going to be alright
And I'm singing uh-oh on a Friday night and I hope everything's going to be alright
Uh-oh-oh oh-uh-oh Uh-oh-oh oh-uh-oh (Repeat until end)
04 Dickhead (03:43)
Why you being a dickhead for?
Stop being a dickhead
Why you being a dickhead for?
You’re just fucking up situations
Why you being a dickhead for?
Stop being a dickhead
Why you being a dickhead for?
You’re just fucking up situations
Shiny floor, slippery feet
Lights are dim, my eyes can't meet
The reflection that turns my images
Upside down so I can't see
Think you know everything
You really don't know nothing
I wish that you were more intelligent
So you could see that what you are doing is
So shitty, to me
Thirty five,
People couldn't count,
On two hands the amount of times you made me stop,
Stop and think why are you being such a dickhead for?
Stop being a dickhead,
Why you being a dickhead for?
You're just fucking up situations,
Why you being a dickhead for?
Stop being a dickhead,
Why you being a dickhead for?
You're just fucking up situations
Stop, don't show, just have a think before you...
Wil you, stop, now don't show, just have a think before you...
Will you stop, no don't show, just have a think before you...
And, stop, don't show, just have a think before you...
Cos my brain and my bones don't want to take, this anymore
My brain and my bones don't want to take, this anymore
My brain and my bones don't want to take, this anymore
My brain and my bones don't want to take, this anymore, so
Why you being a dickhead for?
Stop being a dickhead
Why you being a dickhead for?
You're just fucking up situations
Why you being a dickhead for?
Stop being a dickhead
Why you being a dickhead for?
You're just fucking up situations
05 Birds (04:25)
She was waiting at the station
He was getting off the train
He didn't have a ticket so he had to bum through the barriers again
Well, the ticket inspector saw him rushing through
He said "girl, you don't know how much I missed you but we better run
'Cos I haven't got the funds to pay this fine"
She said, "fine"
So they ran out of the station and jumped on to a bus with two of yesterday's travel cards and two bottles of Bud
Then he said, "you look well nice"
Well, she was wearing a skirt and he thought she looked nice and yeah she didn't really care about anything else, 'cos she only wanted him to think that she looked nice and he did
But he was looking at her all funny in the eye
She said, "c'mon boy, tell me what your thinking now, don't be shy"
He said, "alright, I'll try"
All the stars in the sky and the leaves in the trees
All broken bits that make you trip up and grassy bits in between
All the matter in the world, is how much that I like you
She said, "what?"
He said, "let me try and explain again"
Right, birds can fly so high
Or they can shit on your head
They can almost fly into your eye
And make you feel so scared
But when you look at them and you see that they're beautiful
That's how I feel about you
Right, birds can fly so high
Or they can shit on your head
They can almost fly into your eye
And make you feel well scared
But when you look at them and you see that they're beautiful
That's how I feel about you
Yeah, that's how I feel about you
She said, "what?"
He said, "you"
She said, "what are you talking about?"
He said, "you"
Right, birds can fly so high
Or they can shit on your head
Yeah, they can almost fly into your eye
And make you feel so scared
But when you look at them and you see that they're beautiful
That's how I feel about you
Right, birds can fly so high
Or they can shit on your head
They can almost fly into your eye
And make you feel well scared
But when you look at them and you see that they're beautiful
That's how I feel about you
Right, that's how I feel about you
She said, "thanks, I like you too"
He said, "cool"
07 Mariella (04:16)
I'm heavy handed, to say the least.
My mother thinks I'll be an awful clutcher 'cus I spill things from stiring them too quickly.
I'm far too loud.
Its like, as soon as I've got an opinion, it just has to come out.
I laugh at stupid things just cus they tickle me.
And sometimes, sometimes, I wish I was like Mariella,
she got some pritt stick and glued her lips together.
So she never had to speak, never had to speak, never had to speak.
People used to say shes as quiet as a mouse, she just doesn't make a peep.
She marched to her wardrobe and threw away the colour, because wearing black looks mysterious, but it didn't impress her mother.
She wanted to dress her baby in patterns and flowers, but Mariella just crossed her arms and so she cried for hours.
Mariella.
Mariella.
My pretty, baby girl
Unglue your lips from being together and wear some pink and pearls.
You can have your friends 'round and they can stay for tea.
Won't you just try to fit in please, do this for me.
But Mariella just crossed her arms and walked up the stairs and she went into her bedroom, and she sat on her bed.
And she looked in the mirror and she thought to herself "If I wanna play, I can play with me, If I wanna think, I'll think in my head.
At school, Mariella didn't have many friends, yeah, the girls there, they looked at her and thought she was quite strange.
Boys aren't really into girls at that age.
And the teachers, they thought Mariella was just going through a phase.
But Mariella just smiled as she skipped down the road because she knew all the secrets in her world.
yeah, she always got the crossword puzzle right every day and she could do the alphabet backwards, without making any mistakes.
Mariella.
Mariella.
Pretty, pretty girl.
Mariella.
Mariella.
Happy in her own little world
Happy in her own little world
And she says "I'm never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever, yeah, I'm never ever ever ever ever ever ever, yeah, I'm never ever ever ever ever ever ever gunna unglue my lips from being together."
She said "I'm never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever, yeah, I'm never ever ever ever ever ever ever, yeah, I'm never ever ever ever ever ever ever evereverevereverevereverevereverevergunna unglue my lips from being together."
09 Pumpkin Soup (02:59)
You’re chatting to me, like we connect
But I don't even know if we're still friends
It's so confusing,
Understanding you is making me not want to do
The things that I know I should do
But I trip fast and then I lose
And I hate looking like a fool
I just want your kiss boy (kiss boy, kiss boy)
I just want your kiss
I just want your kiss boy (kiss boy, kiss boy)
I just want your kiss
The lights are on
And someone's home
But I'm not sure if they're alone
There's someone there inside my head living there too
Fill me with dread
This paranoia is distressing
And I spend most of my night guessing
Are we not, are we together?
Will this make our lives much better?
I'm not in love
I just wanna be touched
I just want your kiss boy (kiss boy, kiss boy)
I just want your kiss
I just want your kiss boy (kiss boy, kiss boy)
I just want your kiss
Woops I think I’ve got too close
'Cause now he’s telling me I’m the girl that he likes most
Now I messed up it’s not the first time
I’m not saying you’re not on my mind
I know that you don’t think I’m unkind
I just want your kiss boy (kiss boy, kiss boy)
I just want your kiss
I just want your kiss boy (kiss boy, kiss boy)
I just want your kiss
I just want your kiss boy (kiss boy, kiss boy)
I just want your kiss
11 Nicest Thing (04:05)
All I know is that you're so nice,
You're the nicest thing I've seen.
I wish that we could give it a go,
See if we could be something.
I wish I was your favourite girl,
I wish you thought I was the reason you are in the world.
I wish I was your favourite smile,
I wish the way that I dressed was your favourite kind of style.
I wish you couldn't figure me out,
But you always wanna know what I was about.
I wish you'd hold my hand when I was upset,
I wish you'd never forget the look on my face when we first met.
I wish you had a favourite beauty spot that you loved secretly,
'Cos it was on a hidden bit that nobody else could see.
Basically,
I wish that you loved me,
I wish that you needed me,
I wish that you knew when I said two sugars, actually I meant three.
I wish that without me your heart would break,
I wish that without me you'd be spending the rest of your nights awake.
I wish that without me you couldn't eat,
I wish I was the last thing on your mind before you went to sleep.
All I know is that you're the nicest thing I've ever seen;
I wish that we could see if we could be something
12 Merry Happy (05:27)
Watching me like you never watched no one
Don't tell me that you didn't try to check out my bum
Cos I know that you did cos your friend told me that you liked it
Gave me those pearls and I thought they were ugly
Though you try to tell me that you never loved me
I know that you did cos you said it and you wrote it down
Dancing at discos
Eating cheese on toast
Yeah, you make me merry
Make me very very happy
But you, obviously, you didn't want to stick around
Dancing at discos
Eating cheese on toast
Yeah, you make me merry
Make me very very happy
But you, obviously, you didn't want to stick around
So I learnt from you
Do do do da do do do do do do da do do do do do do da do
Do do do da do do do do do do da do do do do do do da do
I can be alone
Yeah
I can watch a sunset
On my own
I can be alone
Yeah
I can watch a sunset
On my own
I can be alone
Yeah
I can watch a sunset
On my own
I can be alone
Yeah
I can watch a sunset
On my own
I can be alone
Yeah
I can watch a sunset
On my own
I can be alone
Yeah
I can watch a sunset
On my own
Sitting in restaurants
Thought we were so grown up
But I know now that we were not the people that we turned out to be
Chatting on the phone
Can't take back those hours
But I won't regret cos you can grow flowers
From where dirt used to be
Dancing at discos
Eating cheese on toast
Yeah, you make me merry
Make me very very happy
But you, obviously, you didn't want to stick around
So I learnt from you
Do do do da do do do do do do da do do do do do do da do
Do do do da do do do do do do da do do do do do do da do
I can be alone
Yeah
I can watch a sunset
On my own
I can be alone
Yeah
I can watch a sunset
On my own
I can be alone
Yeah
I can watch a sunset
On my own
I can be alone
Yeah
I can watch a sunset
On my own
I can be alone
Yeah
I can watch a sunset
On my own
I can be alone
Yeah
I can watch a sunset
On my own
15 Navy Taxi (05:37)
Rain spat in my face, thanks a lot mate
And I lost a tenner on the way
Thinking about it, did I spend it last night
When I was drunk and I wanted to get more drunk
Missed the train, thanks a lot mate
I didn't want to be late today, cause I'm always late
And I really hate always being late
And now the other train is delayed... great.
Carrying bags and a navy taxi man said
"Take your time love
'Cause you don't have to rush
'Cause it's your life and it's no one else's, sweetheart
Don't let someone put you in a box."
So I take all that other stuff that I said before
And I'm gonna make it work
'Cause I'm losing my mind and it's driving me up the wall
So I tried to help you carry your shopping
But I wasn't concentrating, I was talking
And I got it caught on the side of this thing and it split
And I'd try to help you walk along but I'd probably end up pushing you over
But don't worry, I'll never let you fall
And I'm stubborn and I shout and I'll cut you out
And I'll make you feel like I never wanted to make you feel
And I'm stubborn and I shout and I'll cut you out
And I'll make you feel like I never wanted to make you feel
Carrying bags and a navy taxi man said
"Take your time love
'Cause you don't have to rush
'Cause it's your life and it's no one else's, sweetheart.
Don't let someone put you in a box."
So I take all that other stuff that I said before
And I'm gonna make it work
Because I'm losing my mind and it's driving me up the wall
And this time, it will be different,
This time, it will be different [x9]
16 Habanera (02:26)
Da-da da dow
Da-da da dow
Da-da da da da dow
Da-da da dow
Da-da da dow da-da dow
I'd like to get more sleep
But my mind just keeps me up
I'd like to be able to write
But I can't seem to find the words
Da-da da dow
Da-da da dow
Da-da da da da dow
Da-da da dow
Da-da da dow da-da dow
Da-da da dow (you)
Da-da da dow (could)
Da-da da da da dow (break my heart)
Da-da da dow (that was)
Da-da da dow da-da dow (apparent from the start)
I tried to talk to you
But you were looking through into the next room
There must have been something more interesting
There must have been something more interesting
Da-da da dow
Da-da da dow
Da-da da da da dow
Da-da da dow
Da-da da dow da-da dow
Da-da da dow
Da-da da dow
Da-da da da da dow
Da-da da dow
Da-da da dow da-da dow
Da-da da dow (you)
Da-da da dow (could)
Da-da da da da dow (break my heart)
Da-da da dow (that was)
Da-da da dow da-da dow (apparent from the start)
Da-da da dow (you)
Da-da da dow (could)
Da-da da da da dow (break my heart)
Da-da da dow (that was)
Da-da da dow da-da dow (apparent from the start)
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Altre recensioni
Di Hakosss
La musica inizia a trasportarvi in un pianeta sconosciuto, fatto di parolacce usate elegantemente ed un inconfondibile accento britannico che non canta, ma racconta vere e proprie storie.
Davvero un bellissimo cd d’esordio, senz’altro. Non una canzone sotto la media, tutte potrebbero uscire come singolo ed arrivare a posizioni alte.
