Indie. Pop. Rock. Elettronica. New wave.
Questo è in sostanza, in appena sei parole, il contenuto di questo esordio, datato 2003 e firmato Metric, quartetto canadese caratterizzato da una voce femminile che a tratti ricorda quella di Shirley Manson dei Garbage e a tratti Karen O degli Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Alcuni componenti della band (come la cantante Emily Haines) hanno collaborato al secondo lavoro dei Broken Social Scene, ottima band uscita di recente da un vastissimo (anche se non completamente valido) panorama indie. Questa collaborazione non può far altro che spingere l'ascoltatore a dedicare un minimo di attenzione a questo interessantissimo e ancora per molti ignoto quartetto.
Il disco suona molto vario. "Old World Underground, Where are You Now?" è un album di non facile classificazione, dal momento che contiene generi diversi tra loro ma molto ben amalgamati, che rendono questo lavoro uno dei più interessanti e particolari degli ultimi anni.
"IOU", brano di apertura, è una canzone di genere inclassificabile, dalla struttura molto complessa. Pop-rock-elettronico di 4 minuti con incursioni di basso rapide poi lente poi di nuovo rapide, batteria e tastiere che conferiscono tempi sempre più nevrotici alla canzone, la quale all'interno presenta intermezzi lenti e repentini cambi di passo.
"Hustle Rose" è un episodio, forse l'unico, che suona veramente come i Broken Social Scene di "Forgot It In People", con basso incalzante e batteria tirata per tutti i 5 minuti.
"Succexy" suona come suonerebbero gli Yeah Yeah Yeahs dopo aver ascoltato a ripetizione Strokes e Bloc Party, con ritmica abbastanza veloce e coinvolgente.
I brani con i quali ci si può fermare e calmare per un pò sono "On A Slow Night" e "Love Is A Place", ballate pop-rock la seconda delle quali ci riporta alle atmosfere delle ultime 3 tracce del disco degli Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
E proprio con l'ultima traccia del disco ci troviamo davanti al gioiello, la perla del disco. Appena due minuti di chitarra e voce da brividi, peccato che per il momento se li filino solamente ad "Extra" di AllMusic...
Ma già con "The List" e "Dead Disco" si torna a scuotere testa e gambe come nei migliori college-party a base di punk'n'roll, con due pezzi dal ritmo decisamente sostenuto.
Sembra strano che riviste come l'NME, impegnate con cadenza mensile a spingere gruppi, gruppetti e gruppucci indie made in UK e non, non abbia sponsorizzato minimamente questa band, il cui valore è ancora tutto da misurare e valutare ma che hanno realizzato due anni fa un album decisamente buono, vario, poco ruffiano (solo "Succexy" dà a tratti l'impressione di essere radiofonico) e che non ha nulla da invidiare a molti lavori usciti quell'anno (vedi Audioslave, Korn, Hot Hot Heat, Athlete, Skin e tanti altri).
Il primo esame è stato passato con disinvoltura, ora bisogna dare continuità a quanto di buono fatto finora (anche se un disco è troppo poco per giudicare una band) e non eccedere in esclamazioni del tipo "I nuovi Tizio", "I nuovi Caio", "Band dell'anno" e roba simile.
Il tempo ci dirà se è solo un fuoco di paglia o un gruppo su cui puntare. Per ora opto per la seconda, ma con queste ultime band di solito si fa presto a cambiare idea...
"...True beautiful one
What have you gone and done
I can see all your moves are new
Tell me what did that salesman do to you..."
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
02 Hustle Rose (05:33)
Behold the fishnet slut tonight
Hustle Rose goes from limb to limb
Fingertip to painted lip she sways her way up to him
Says, “Now that your wallet is all lit up
Now that your wallet is all lit up
Now that your wallet is all lit up
Now that your wallet is all lit up
Now that your wallet is all lit up
Now that your wallet is all lit up
Now that your wallet is all lit up
Now that your wallet is all lit up
Now that your wallet is all lit up
You're gonna wanna wear it out”
If you're looking for something life-like
Hit a sardine nightclub
If every surface you touch is cold
Never go home
He says, “I can't feel a thing, my dreams are so tight
Why wouldn't I stand in line tonight?”
Now that your wallet is all lit up
Now that your wallet is all lit up
Now that your wallet is all lit up
You're gonna wanna wear it out
You're gonna wanna wear it out
(x2)
You could throw me a bone
If I get too close you wake me up
remind me softly to go
If I forget won't you wake me up
Remind me not to feel a thing
Keep the dream tight
I can't feel a thing
My dreams are so tight
Why wouldn't I stand in line tonight?
03 Succexy (03:05)
Lonesome for no one when
the room was empty and
war as we knew it was obsolete
Nothing could beat complete denial
All we do is talk, sit, switch screens
as the homeland plans enemies
All we do is talk, static and split screens
As the homeland plans enemies
Invasion's so succexy
so succexy
Invasion's so succexy
so succexy
Let's drink to the military
The glass is empty
Faces to fill and cars to feed
Nothing could beat complete denial
All we do is talk, sit, switch screens
As the homeland plans enemies
All we do is talk, static and split screens
As the homeland plans enemies
Invasion's so succexxy
so succexxy(so succexxy, so succexxy)
Invasion's so succexxy
so succexxy, (so succexxy, so succexxy)
Invasion's so succexxy
so succexxy, (so succexxy, so succexxy)
Invasion's so succexxy
so succexxy, (so succexxy, so succexxy)
passive attraction, programmed reaction
passive attraction, programmed reaction
action distraction, more information
flesh saturation, lips on a napkin
ass ass ass
where does the time go?
we're waking up so slowly
days are horizontal lately
out of body, watched from above
out of body, watched from above
passive attraction, programmed reaction
more information, cash masturbation
follow the pattern, the hemlines, the headlines
action distraction, faster than fashion
faster than fashion, faster than fashion
Lonesome for no one when
the room was empty and
war as we knew it was obsolete
Nothing could beat denial
04 Combat Baby (03:29)
we used to leave the blue lights on and there was a beat
ever since you have been gone it's all caffeine-free
faux punk fatigues
said it all before
they try to kick it, their feet fall asleep
get no harm done no
none of them want to fight me
combat baby come back baby
fight off the lethargy
don't go quietly
combat baby
said you would never give up easy
combat baby come back
get back in town I wanna paint it black
I wanna get around
easy living crowd so flat
said it all before
they try to kick it, their feet fall asleep
I want to be wrong but
No one here wants to fight me like you do
combat baby come back baby
fight off the lethargy
don't go quietly
combat baby
said you would never give up easy
combat baby come back
I try to be so nice
Compromise
Who gets it good?
Every mighty mild seventies child
Every mighty mild seventies child
Beats me
Do doo dooo
do doo dooo
do do dooo
do de do doo
do doo doo
do doo dooo
do do dooo
do de do doo
combat baby come back baby
combat baby come back
bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye baby
combat baby come back
how I miss your ranting
do you miss my all time lows
05 Calculation Theme (03:31)
I'm sick, you're tired
Let's dance
Break to love, make lust
I know it isn't
I'm sick, you're tired
Let's dance, dance, dance, dance
Cold as numbers but let's dance
As though it were easy for you to lead me
I could be passive gracefully
Half the horizon's gone
Skyline of numbers
Half the horizon's gone
Working the numbers
'Til I'm sick
Sleep don't pacify us until
Daybreak sky lights up the grid we live in
Dizzy when we talk so fast
Fields of numbers streaming past
I wish we were farmers
I wish we knew how to
Grow sweet potatoes and milk cows
I wish we were lovers
But it's for the best
Tonight your ghost will ask my ghost,
Where is the love?
Tonight your ghost will ask my ghost,
Who here is in line for a raise?
Tonight your ghost will ask my ghost,
Where is the love?
Tonight your ghost will ask my ghost,
Who put these bodies between us?
06 Wet Blanket (04:07)
Falling for the creep,
The body leech,
Here he comes
Vicious, hypnosis,
Clenched fist sayin'
"It’s wrong to want more than a folk song"
Underneath the shaker knit,
He’s a brick wall
She keep fallin' for the trick,
Vegetariate, sing-along,
Give a little kick,
With your fine thigh high.
*Doo-doo-doo, We’re on to you.*
Tearin' her down,
Talkin' her down,
Under your breath,
Makin' a mess,
See she is happy
You wanna break it
*Doo-doo-doo, We’re on to you.*
Tearin' her down,
Talkin' her down,
Under your breath,
Makin' a mess,
See she is happy
You wanna break it
*Doo-doo-doo, We’re on to you.*
Your phony roots,
Borrowed guitar,
Tellin' her what to think we are
You the number one,
Wet blanket,
Hardly a day goes by you don’t try to break down,
No, I don’t buy it,
You’re still around I wonder why,
She just keep
Falling for the creep,
The body leech,
Here he comes
Vicious, hypnosis,
Clenched fist sayin'
"It’s wrong to want more than a folk song"
Underneath the shaker knit,
He’s a brick wall
She keep fallin' for the creep,
The body leech,
Comin' on
Vicious hypnosis,
Clenched fist sayin'
"It’s wrong to want more than a folk song"
"I'm wrong to want more than a folk song"
"I'm wrong to want more than a folk song"
Underneath the shaker knit,
He’s a brick wall,
She keep fallin' for the trick,
Vegetariate sing-along,
Give a little kick,
With your fine thigh high,
*Doo-doo-do-do-do*
*Doo-doo-do-do-do*
*Doo-doo-do-do-do* *Ba ba, ba ba ba ba*
*Doo-doo-do-do-do* *Ba ba, ba ba ba ba*
*Doo-doo-do-do-do* *Ba ba, ba ba ba ba*
*Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*
*Doo-doo-do-do-do* *Ba ba, ba ba ba ba*
*Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*
*Doo-doo-do-do-do* *Ba ba, ba ba ba ba*
*Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*
*Doo-doo-do-do-do* *Ba ba, ba ba ba ba*
*Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*
*Doo-doo-do-do-do* *Ba ba, ba ba ba ba*
*Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*
*Doo-doo-do-do-do* *Ba ba, ba ba ba ba*
*Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*
*Doo-doo-do-do-do* *Ba ba, ba ba ba ba*
*Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*
*Doo-doo-do-do-do* *Ba ba, ba ba ba ba*
*Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*
*Doo-doo-do-do-do* *Ba ba, ba ba ba ba*
*Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*
*Doo-doo-do-do-do* *Ba ba, ba ba ba ba*
*Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*
*Doo-doo-doo, We’re on to you*
Tearin' her down,
Talkin' her down,
Under your breath,
Makin' a mess,
See she is happy you wanna break it
*Doo-doo-doo* we’re on to you
Your bathing suit,
Borrowed guitar,
Tellin' her what to think we are,
You the number one
Wet blanket,
You’re still around I wonder why,
You’re still around I wonder why,
You the number one wet blanket.
08 The List (02:52)
All dressed down to catch a whiff of the buzz
Smells like the death of the last great cause
But you & I we've been through that and that is not our fate
Give my face to the back of your head
Loyal in your shadow
Yeah yeah yeah
Broken accidental stars
Do lawyers have lawyers?
Do landlords have landlords? we're wondering
One more cheap suit in the loop, more chlorine in the pool
The blonde dolls smiling behind us
Say, one day you'll be just like us
All dressed up to catch a glimpse of the list
We've seen some success, it looks like a camero
Yeah yeah yeah
Broken accidental stars
Do lawyers have lawyers?
Do landlords have landlords? we're wondering
One more cheap suit in the loop, more chlorine in the pool
The blonde dolls smiling behind us
Say, one day you'll be just like us
Calling from the next hotel – can you put me on the list?
Who we are now we will always be- the best haircuts are taken
Calling from the next hotel – can you put me on the list?
Who we are now we will always be- the best haircuts are taken
Calling from the next hotel – can you put me on the list?
Who we are now we will always be- the best haircuts are taken
Calling from the next hotel – can you put me on the list?
Who we are now we will always be
09 Dead Disco (03:25)
Skip town. slow down
push it to the east coast
Step down turn around
push it to the west
Need less, use less
we're asking for too much I guess
Cause all we get is…
Dead disco
Dead funk
Dead rock and roll
Remodel
Everything has been done
La la la la la la la la la la
Tits out, pants down
Overnight to London
Touch down, look around
Everyone's the same
World wide, air tight
No one's got a face left to blame
And all we get is…
Dead disco
Dead funk
Dead rock and roll
Remodel
Everything has been done
La la la la la la la la la la
Dead disco
Dead funk
Dead rock and roll
Remodel
Everything has been done
La la la la la la la la la la
I know,
I know you tried to change things
I know you tried to change
I know
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