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Il 2001 per la musica Pop e Rock rappresenta, senza ombra di dubbio, un anno decisamente interessante: abbiamo, infatti, la rinascita del cosiddetto genere "Alternative" che non solo interessa gruppi Rock di un certo calibro, tra cui, per esempio, i System Of A Down, già in realtà attivi due anni prima con l'omonimo anno di debutto, ma soprattutto l'ambito del Pop/Rock con il proliferare di gruppi come i Maroon 5 con il loro album di debutto Songs About Jane e, soprattutto, nell'ambito più prettamente cantautorale Pop/Rock Michelle Branch con questo suo album di debutto The Spirit Room.
La dolce ma grintosa Michelle nativa di Flagstaff in Arizona nel "lontano" 3 luglio 1983, ma cresciuta a Sedona sempre nello stato dell'Arizona, grazie soprattutto all'operato di un produttore esperto e, a modo suo, innovativo nell'ambito del Pop/Rock americano come il californiano John Shanks, produttore, tra gli altri, dei Bon Jovi ne l'album Have A Nice Day, mette in mostra in questo suo interessantissimo esordio a soli 17 anni e mezzo dei mezzi tecnici piuttosto notevoli: provare per credere la "smash hit" di apertura Everywhere (divenuta poi nota canzone di reclame per una nota ditta telefonica italiana) che si apre con la chitarra e la voce di Michelle cui fa seguito un ritmo veloce e gradevole con tanto di piccolo assolo nel mezzo per la sola durata di 3 minuti e 30 circa.
Altre canzoni di sicurissima presa sono You Get Me e, soprattutto, All You Wanted che dimostrano come si può produrre comunque un Pop di pregevole qualità, a dispetto del cosiddetto mainstream che, come si suol dire, tende a premiare la "cattiva moneta" invece della "buona".
You Set Me Free è un altro pezzo orecchiabile, caratterizzato da una bella batteria di Vinnie Colaiuta in versione sessionman e da un ritmo che sprizza freschezza da tutti i pori.
Ma il pezzo senza dubbio più intrigante nonché fiore all'occhiello dell'album è di sicuro Something To Sleep To: si tratta, infatti, di un pezzo con addirittura dei richiami ai Beatles (di cui ella si è persino dichiarata fan a inizio carriera), soprattutto con una base preregistrata all'inizio di un piatto che sta per suonare a contatto con un ipotetico giradischi di vecchia concezione, che lascia poi spazio a un pezzo dal ritmo più cupo dei precedenti, come a voler sottolineare il lamento dell'amato/a che non si rassegna affatto all'idea di una relazione che sta drammaticamente deteriorandosi.
Dalla fucina di Michelle escono poi altri pezzi freschi freschi come Here With Me e la dolce Sweet Misery che si fanno notare anch'essi per orecchiabilità e melodie assai gradevoli, pur non raggiungendo grossi picchi.
If Only She Knew inizia con un bell'arpeggio di chitarra da parte della Branch e poi si sviluppa anch'essa gradevolmente su degli accordi che ricordano la già menzionata Everywhere, sebbene alla lontana.
I'd Rather Be In Love è un altro pezzo di buona qualità che, invece, si fa notare per un buon lavoro alle tastiere e ai sintetizzatori oltre che per la voce sempre dolce ma potente di Michelle.
Altra gemma di questo lavoro è però rappresentata dalla struggente Goodbye To You che mette in mostra le rimarchevoli note vocali di Michelle che alterna allo stesso tempo dolcezza, dolore e solitudine, così come la musica che si districa tra brevi ma intensi fraseggi di piano, chitarra acustica e sintetizzatori, mettendo così in luce un pezzo che si mostra completo in ogni sua parte.
Chiude questo bel lavoro l' "acquatica" Drop In The Ocean nella quale la musica assume contorni assai particolari, con persino una spolverata, seppur leggerissima, di psichedelia e con un finale sempre più ritmato nel quale si distingue la batteria del già menzionato Colaiuta che di certo rappresenta un ottimo valore aggiunto.
La carriera della Branch, seppur poi continuata in maniera discontinua e disomogenea, potrà dunque spiccare il volo a partire da quel febbraio 2001, anno di uscita dell'album, con in più collaborazioni di livello, tra cui quella con il leggendario chitarrista Carlos Santana in The Game Of Love, cui farà seguito nel 2003 l'album Hotel Paper e in seguito dei cambiamenti a livello artistico e personale che la porteranno, sfortunatamente, a venir percepita in Italia, per esempio, come una pura e semplice meteora, seppur dotata di una bellissima e purissima luce propria che difficilmente verrà mai spenta al solo ascolto di questo lavoro, come detto, di ottimo livello, specie se paragonato alla (desolante) scena Pop/Rock dei nostri tempi.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Everywhere (03:39)
Turn it inside out so I can see
The part of you that's driftin over me
And when I wake you're, you're never there
And when I sleep you're, you're everywhere
You're everywhere
Just tell me how I got this far
Just tell me why you're here and who you are
'Cause everytime I look
You're never there
And everytime I sleep
You're always there
'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I close my eyes
It's you I see
You're everything I know
That makes me believe
I'm not alone
I'm not alone
I recognized the way you make me feel
I start to think that you might not be real
I sense it now the water's getting deep
I try to wash the pain away from me
Away from me
'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I close my eyes
It's you I see
You're everything I know
That makes me believe
I'm not alone
I'm not alone
Oh
When I touch your hand
It's then I understand
The beauty lives within
It's now that we begin
You always light my way
Whenever comes a day
No matter where I go
I always feel you so
'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I close my eyes
It's you I see
You're everything I know
That makes me believe
I'm not alone
'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I catch my breath
It's you I breathe
You're everything I know
That makes me believe
I'm not alone
And you're everyone I see
So tell me, do you see me?
03 All You Wanted (03:37)
I wanted to be like you
I wanted everything
So I tried to be like you
And I got swept away
I didn't know that it was so cold and
You needed someone
To show you the way
So I took your hand and we figured out that
When the tide comes
I'd take you away
If you want to
I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside
So busy out there
And all you wanted
Was somebody who cares
I'm sinking slowly
So hurry hold me
Your hand is all I have to keep me hanging on
Please can you tell me
So I can finally see
Where you go when you're gone
If you want to
I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside
So busy out there
And all you wanted
Was somebody who cares
All you wanted was somebody who cares
If you need me you know I'll be there
Oh, oh, oh, oh yeah
If you want to
I can save you
I can take you away from here
(I can take you away)
So lonely inside
So busy out there
And all you wanted
Was somebody who cares
Oh, oh
(And all you wanted was somebody who cares)
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
If you want to
(If you want to)
I can save you
I can take you away from here
(I can take you away)
So lonely inside
So busy out there (oh, oh)
And all you wanted
Was somebody who cares
Please can you tell me
So I can finally see
Where you go when you're gone
04 You Set Me Free (03:11)
Can't you see?
There's a feeling that's come over me
Close my eyes
You're the only one that leaves me
Completely breathless
No need to wonder why
Sometimes a gift like this you can't deny
'Cause I
Wanted to fly
So you gave me your wings
And time
Held its breath so I could see
Yeah
And you set me free
Ooh
There's a will
There's a way
Sometimes words just can't explain
This is real
(This is real)
I'm afraid
(I'm afraid)
I guess this time there's just no hiding, fighting
You make me restless
You're in my heart
The only light that shines there
In the dark
Oh
'Cause I
Wanted to fly
So you gave me your wings
And time
Held its breath so I could see
Yeah
And you set me free
When I was alone
You came around
When I was down
You pulled me through
And there's nothing that
I wouldn't do for you
'Cause I
Wanted to fly
So you gave me your wings
(So you gave me your wings)
And time
Held its breath so I could see
(So I could see)
'Cause I
Wanted to fly
So you gave me your wings
(So you gave me your wings)
And time
Held its breath so I could see
Yeah
And you set me free
05 Something To Sleep To (03:55)
She's his yellow brick road
Leading him on
And letting him go as far
As she lets him go
Going down to nowhere
She puts on her make-up
The same way she did yesterday
Hoping everything's the same
But everything has changed
In my mind
Everything we did was right
Open your eyes, I'll still be by your side
How could I ever have been so blind?
You give me something to sleep to
At night
He wakes up to the sound
So scared that she's leaving
He wishes she were still
Asleep next to him
Hoping she will change
In my mind
Everything we did was right
Open your eyes, I'll still be by your side
How could I ever have been so blind?
You give me something to sleep to
At night
You give me something to sleep to
And all I know is
You give me something to dream to
When I'm all alone and blue
Don't leave me now
Don't leave me now
Don't leave me now
Don't leave me now
Don't leave me now
Don't leave me now
Don't leave me now
Don't leave me now
In my mind
Everything we did was right
Open your eyes, I'll still be by your side
How could I ever have been so blind?
You give me something to sleep to
Something to sleep to
Something to sleep to at night
07 Sweet Misery (03:43)
I was lost
And you were found
You seem to stand on solid ground
I was weak
And you were strong
And me and my guitar,
we strummed along, oh
Sweet misery you cause me
That's what you called me
Sweet misery you cause me
I was blind
But oh, how you could see
You saw the beauty in everything,
everything and me
I would cry
And you would smile
You'd stay with me a little while
Sweet misery you cause me
That's what you called me
Sweet misery you cause me
And in my heart I see, oh
What you're doing to me
And in my heart I see, oh
Just how you wanted it to be
Sweet misery
Oh.. whoa, oh
Ohh...
Sweet misery you cause me
That's what you called me
Sweet misery you cause me
And in my heart I see, oh
What you're doing to me
(What you're doing to me)
And in my heart I see, oh
Just how you wanted it to be
(Wanted it to be)
Sweet misery... ohh, sweet misery, ohh
Ohh... sweet misery
I was weak
And you were strong
And me and my guitar,
We strummed along
09 I'd Rather Be In Love (03:51)
I cannot help it
I couldn't stop it if I tried
The same old heart beat
Fills the emptiness
I have inside
And I've heard that you can't fight love
So I won't complain
Cause why would I stop the fire
That keeps me going on
'Cause when there's you
I feel whole
And there's no better feeling in the world
But without you
I'm alone
And I'd rather be in love
With you
Turn out the lights now
To see is to believe
I just want you near me
I just want you here with me...
And I'd give up everything only for you
It's the least that I could do...
'Cause when there's you
I feel whole
And there's no better feeling in the world
But without you
I'm alone
And I'd rather be in love
With you
I feel you holding me...
Why are we afraid to be in love
To be loved
I can't explain it
I know it's tough
To be loved
And I feel you holding me...
Ohoh
Oh
But when there's you
I feel whole (I feel whole)
And there's no better feeling in the world
But without you I'm alone
And I'd rather be in love
Yes, I'd rather be in love
Oh, I'd rather be in love...
With you
And I feel you holding me
10 Goodbye To You (04:11)
Of all the things I've believed in
I just want to get it over with
Tears form behind my eyes
But I do not cry
Counting the days that pass me by
I've been searching deep down in my soul
Words that I'm hearing are starting to get old
Feels like I'm starting it all over again
The last three years were just pretend
And I said
Goodbye to you
Goodbye to everything that I knew
You were the one I loved
The one thing that I tried to hold on to
I still get lost in your eyes
And it seems that I can't live a day without you
Closing my eyes and you chase my thoughts away
To a place where I am blinded by the light
But it's not right
Goodbye to you
Goodbye to everything that I knew
You were the one I loved
The one thing that I tried to hold on to
And it hurts to want everything
And nothing at the same time
I want what's yours and I want what's mine
I want you
But I'm not giving in this time
Goodbye to you
Goodbye to everything that I knew
You were the one I loved
The one thing that I tried to hold on to
Goodbye to you
Goodbye to everything that I knew
You were the one I loved
The one thing that I tried to hold on to
The one thing that I tried to hold on to
The one thing that I tried to hold on to
The one thing that I tried to hold on to
And when the stars fall
I will lie awake
You're my shooting star
11 Drop In The Ocean (04:20)
Love took me by the hand
Love took me by surprise
Love led me to you
And love opened up my eyes
And I was drifting away
like a drop in the ocean
And now I realize that
nothing has been as beautiful
As when I saw heaven's skies
In your eyes
In your eyes
And every time I drift away
I lose myself in you
And now I see I can be me
In everything I do
'Cause I was feeling as small
as a drop in the ocean
And now I realize that
nothing has been as beautiful
As when I saw heaven's skies
In your eyes
In your eyes
Love took me by the hand
Love took me by surprise
And I was drifting away
like a drop in the ocean
And now I've realized that
nothing has been as beautiful
As when I saw heaven's skies
In your eyes
In your eyes
12 Second Chances (03:49)
Sometimes
We get second chances
And sometimes
We never make it past the first
It really makes you wonder
Why some things happen
When they do
It really makes me wonder why it wasn't me
Instead of you
And when you say
"It doesn't matter"
Well it does
And all it takes
Is a mistake to eat your words
Just one more time
I think I'll drive on home tonight
Sometimes
we never see the warning
and the voice in your head tells you not to go
It really makes me wonder why some things happen
When they do
It really makes me wonder why it wasn't me
Instead of you
And when you say
It doesn't matter
Well it does
And all it takes
Is a mistake to eat your words
Just one more time
I think I'll drive on home tonight
And when you look its gone
its too late to turn around
and its another day facing yourself
Ad the things that you've done
woah-oh-oh-ohhh
ohhh, woah...
And when you say
"It doesn't matter"
Well it does
And all it takes
Is a mistake to eat your words
Just one more time
I think I'll drive on home tonight
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Altre recensioni
Di Maupassant83
La voce può sembrare troppo infantile, ma certe note sono raggiunte ottimamente e in armonia fra loro.
Rimarrà comunque in memoria "Everywhere", che difficilmente sarà accostata all'immagine dell'autrice.
