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Non è affatto facile avvicinarsi ai Low dopo aver amato e consumato le copie dei due album precedenti, "Things We Lost In The Fire" e soprattutto "Trust" (personalmente il mio album del 2002).
Erano una splendida certezza, potevi abbandonarti al riflusso delle emozioni e (pene)e(n)trare il/nel segreto di questa sorta di Fairport Convention in b/n, Alan Sparhawk come un Leonard Cohen low-fi, la splendida Mimi Parker a mo' di icona indie, una Sandy Denny plagiata dai blues litanici di Black Heart Procession o dalla psichedelia oscura di Yo La Tengo...
Tutto questo (r)esiste ancora, ma c'è una brusca sterzata verso il rock. Un wall of sound che domina senza predominare, a cominciare dalla splendida opener track, Monkey. Il sottoscritto trova un errore aver compresso, quasi isolato, il canto di Mimi Parker, che è un dono della natura di cui i fans - temo - non potranno più fare a meno. Poi arriva Silver Rider ed è un vero eden, un gioco minimale di voci (Mimi e Sparhawk che si rincorrono come Richard e Linda Thompson dei tempi d'oro), una piccola grande magia che fa perdonare anche il melenso pop di Step e l'effetto un po' cacofonico delle distorsioni. E' un'incantesimo che si spezza e rinasce più volte, anche nel classicismo onanista di On The Edge Of e nell'energia della conclusiva Walk Into The Sea. Non è detto che i veri Low debbano essere per forza quelli della notevole Death Of A Salesman (Arthur Miller, morto recentemente, ringrazia) né nel crescendo in feedback di Pissing.
Del liturgismo sonoro di "Trust" non è rimasto poi molto. Oserei dire che a tratti si respira una ritrovata o maledetta (per chi stenta a comprendere le ragioni di questo cambiamento) vitalità.
Non posso dire di non aver amato quest'album, ma a mio avviso manca qualcosa, quel turbine emotivo, psicoreattivo, che aveva il precedente capolavoro, e da cui forse il gruppo Osa guardare con distaccato timore. Più che una distruzione in atto, la chiamerei l'ennesimo coup de foudre per una delle band più appassionate e significative del rock indie americano. Non è poco
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Monkey (04:19)
Oh my my
Little white lies
I swear I'm gonna make it right
This time
It's not the radio
Turn it way down low
Telling me things I do not know I know
Tonight you will be mine
Tonight the monkey dies
Tonight you will be mine
Tonight the monkey dies
Now who's to blame
You used to be the same
Now you won't let me speak your name
What a shame
It's a suicide
Shut up and drive
We're never going to make the light
but it's all right
Tonight you will be mine
Tonight the monkey dies
Tonight you will be mine
Tonight the monkey dies
(repeat chorus)
02 California (03:23)
See your reflection in your mind
You keep your revelations wide eyed
They knew just where to draw the line
You let them get you every time
Though it breaks your heart
We had to sell the farm
Back to California where it's warm
It fell around you like the stars
You picked up everything they dropped
And though it breaks you like a song
You had some secrets of your own
(repeat chorus)
It's warm
It's warm
Though it breaks your heartv We had to sell the farm
Nights were just too long
With all your children gone
Would it keep you strong
If I said it with a song
Back to California where it's warm
03 Everybody's Song (03:55)
Pour yourself another cup another cup another cup
And wait
I can't wait forever
Live your life
A stupid life a stupid life a stupid life
Nobody does it better
Breaking everybody's heart
Taking everyone apart
Breaking everybody's heart
Singing everybody's song
All your dreams are waking up are waking up are waking up in space
You can't sleep forever
Every day you torture us you torture us you torture us
Nothing stays together
(repeat chorus)
04 Silver Rider (05:03)
At times I see you, you silver rider
Sometimes your voice is not enough
Your face in windows outside forever
Nobody dreamed you'd save the world
Nobody dreamed you'd save the world
Your march is over
The great destroyer
She passes through you like a knife
Oh take me with you
You silver rider
Sometimes your voice is not enough
Sometimes your voice is not enough
06 On the Edge Of (03:49)
Soft from your lips to the rise of your stomach
Your lungs filled with fingers keep jamming words down my throat
Nothing to steal we've got nothing to love
Nothing to spill because oh we're so innocent oh
Oh on the edge of
Oh on the edge of
I could have built you a house on the ocean
The ocean repeating and receding into the sun
So cut to you dead and now cut to the laughing
Cut through our bodies and lastly into our oh
Oh on the edge of
Oh
Oh on the edge of
07 Cue the Strings (03:30)
Before you speak
The words so plain to see
Upon your skin
They sing, they dance and spin
So what, pray tell
Will save you now?
Here comes that cold sunrise
And at the peak
We reach to cue the strings
They ring so sweet
They lay in plain relief
So what, pray tell
Will save you now?
Here comes that cold sunrise
Here comes that cold sunrise
08 Step (03:18)
The levee's breaking
Feel it shakin' like the dirt
All the kids are sleeping
Silent dreams beneath their heads
Go to wake up screamin'
Little lights above your bed
Hey, keep an eye on what you say
You think the words just walk away
But they creep into my brain
Sinking deep into my step
My step
I am the walrus darlin'
No one ever knows my name
You are the chorus sweet thing
Never sing that song again
Hey, keep an eye on what you say
You think the words just walk away
But they're creepin' through my brain
Sinkin' deep into my step
My step
(chorus repeated)
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