• Voto:
La bassa fedeltà è un bel ricordo. I Sebadoh una delle infinite possibilità in cui inciampare prima o poi. Tra quei gruppi che registri mentalmente e poi perdi all'istante, che non cerchi ma che tanto prima o poi "t'arrivano".
"C’è Gigi?"
"No."
"Ma siamo i Sebadoh."
"Ah, ok. Venite su."
Partoriti all'inizio degli anni '90 dall'ego smodatamente musicomane di un Lou Barlow capace di scazzare con J Mascis, farsi cacciare dai Dinosaur Jr e pretendere d'averla comunque vinta (vedi il successo commerciale dei paralleli Folk Implosion, dieci anni dopo), i Sebadoh sfornano una quantità sconsiderata di buoni dischi (con menzione d'onore almeno per "Bakesale" e "Harmacy") affermandosi come trasandati rappresentanti dell'indie rock tout court. Passano un tot di anni ed il nuovo secolo è alle porte.
Pausa. Stop. Play.
Abbandonato il morbido esistenzialismo in rima baciata così come il gusto per le registrazioni lo-fi, qui i Sebadoh danno fondo all'aspetto più genuinamente svagato ed immediato della loro musica. Come se avessero improvvisamente bisogno di scuotersi con qualcosa di semplice e gratificante. Una birra ghiacciata nella serata più divertente della settimana. Del sano sesso con la tipa della copisteria. Quel che importa è non fermarsi. Allora le forme del pop vanno scombinate da una rinnovata vena elettrica ed incastonate in un eccezionale songwriting dal retrogusto punk: chitarre sporche e tese, ronzii d'amplificatori, dissonanze elettroniche, saturazioni di frequenze in megahertz e soprattutto una sezione ritmica tonda come un cuscinetto d'acciaio. Ed è così che il bassista Jason Loewenstein, da scomodo ruolo di comprimario si ritrova a mettere mano alla metà dei brani e per i critici è come se c'avessero la scabbia. "Deludente ritorno omonimo" spareranno le riviste specializzate. In realtà il ragazzo fustiga le sue quattro corde come una forza della natura e fornisce per la prima volta un perfetto contraltare al genio depresso di Lou Barlow. Ne esce fuori un mix accattivante a metà tra il cazzone ed il riflessivo: Husker Du e Pavement remixati da Steve Albini. Il tiro è alto, il disco pieno di potenziali hit appena sopra i tre minuti. Ed un trittico spaventoso nel centro del cuore: "Nick Of Time", "Flame" (whoa!!!) e "So Long" bruciano veloci e lasciano il segno nelle corde vocali. Il tono della registrazione è pulito, corposo e mette in evidenza il grande pregio dei Sebadoh: l'innata capacità di utilizzare tre accordi con straordinario senso melodico facendo pure tremare le pareti della sala prove. L'abilità trasversale di screziare il loro personalissimo rock con staffilate ben camuffate di post-punk, folk e grunge.
Un solo difetto: collocato nel suo tempo (corre l'anno 1999) questo disco perde gran parte del suo fascino perché ormai superato a destra ed in tripla corsia.
Ma tiene comunque i suoi 130 chilometri orari e puoi star certo che prima o poi arriva.
Elenco tracce testi e video
02 Weird (03:26)
I’ve been thinking all day, but I’ve got nothing good to say
There’s a war on my mind, let me leave it all behind
Things we’ll never share are hangin’ heavy in the air
With all the weird on the way, let me have a perfect day
But paranoia’s contagious; I’m coming down with it, too
You better throw your trust on the fire first
Before I do
It’s a world of demand, it doesn’t stop to understand
And it’s of world in demands, doesn’t stop to understand you
If you’re waitin’ on me to tie you up, set you free
You’ll be waitin’ all day, all I wanna do is play
But paranoia’s contagious; I’m coming down with it, too
Better throw your trust on the fire first
Before I do
Before I do
And if we wanna be happy, it’s all here to be used
But settin' the world on fire burns, I thought you knew
You thought I knew
We never knew
We never ever knew
We never knew
We never knew
03 Bird in the Hand (01:36)
All washed down the drain, all washed down the drain Take it home with you I don’t know what to say to you But I know how it can be Drop to the whisper, and take it while you can It’s only a little bird in the palm of your big hand Racked my brain and now I’m confused as hell I don’t know what you want If it’s all the same, I think I’ll go on home Droppin' a whisper, and take it while you can It’s only a little bird in the palm of your big hand No one can change You can’t change
06 Nick of Time (02:52)
I guess when you met me, it was OK
‘Cuz you made an exception for a thousand ways
I’m sorry baby, yes, I was unkind
I'm beginning to forget you’re a friend of mine
Destroying us in destroyer world
We don’t need to know what you’re worth
Compare yourself to nothing and no one
You know it because you started out
[Repeat]
You started out
It was the nick of time, girl, you got it all right (X3)
07 Flame (04:54)
I don't want to be the one to ride flame
I don't know her name
And I don't want to go where the seekers all go
I dont want to know
And you can feel anything you wanna feel
And you can feel anything you wanna feel
And call it real
But I don't want to be the one who rides flame
I don't want to be the one who rides flame
I can't complain though im wrapped up in chains
I can't complain
Everybody's got the right to be free
But thats not me
And you can feel anything you wanna feel
And you can feel anything you wanna feel
And you can feel anything you wanna feel
And call it real
But I don't want to be the one who rides flame
I don't want to be the one who rides flame
Hit the flame burn a hole in my brain
Never be the same
I try to take it slow but she's pushing me to go
But I dont wanna go
And you can feel everything you wanna feel
And you can feel everything you wanna feel
And you can feel everything you wanna feel
And call it real
But I don't wanna be the one who rides flame
I don't wanna be the one who rides flame
I don't wanna be the one who rides flame
I don't wanna be the one who rides flame
I don't wanna be the one who rides flame
I don't wanna be the one who rides flame
I don't wanna be the one who rides flame
I don't wanna be the one who rides flame
10 Decide (03:42)
You give faith to deadly snakes, retain the need for names
Now burn your books for me
Confusion must end, jarred-up sympathy
I’ve been here, but you won’t hear, what have you to say to me?
Blood-crazed
Vampires wear a straight face
The love, hate
Expression of your dead weight
Oh, go back down and load up what you can’t sell
And you don’t sound the same
And there’s no one around who cares what you say
Oh, I wanna trust you; don’t do that to me
I’m right here without my fear
And all I need to be
Can’t take a switch-hitting twist in the name game
I made a mistake trusting you with what I make
Crowd control, assume the role
Mr. Pointy-shoes put a pen to your soul
Crowd control, assume the role
Mr. Pointy-shoes, put a pen to your...
Blood-crazed
Vampires wear a straight face
All the love, hate
Expression of your dead weight
Dead weight
11 Colorblind (02:51)
Time to fake a miracle, memorized emotion
Memorize lullaby; changin' the arranged deal
Tell me every reason why, cradle my confusion
Memorize lullaby; changin' the arranged deal
I wish we were colorblind, we could heal ourselves
I wish we were colorblind
I wish I were invisible, I'd sink into myself
Black and white and beautiful
Why'd they make it ugly?
Crackers in their camouflage, headin' for the hills
Now it's time to close your mind ‘cuz Mother Nature tells you to
I wish we were colorblind, we could heal ourself
I wish we were colorblind, kept it to ourself
Colorblind, lullaby, haunted ‘til I'm pacified
Think it to myself
I wish we were colorblind, we could heal ourself
I wish we were colorblind and kept it to ourself
Colorblind, lullaby, hold me ‘til I'm pacified
Singing to myself
14 Sorry (03:03)
No, I mean it, I’m really sorry; here I’ll say it again
I want you to know it, but the more I say it
The less it means in the end
Working for respect’s like climbing a mountain
And I think I’m losing my grip
Once I’m fallin’ and I think I’m fallin’
There’s no gettin’ back on pace
But my face makes that sorry shape
I know who I am, but I lost my grace
I'm gettin' a stick and I march for more
Now I was wrong, everybody knows
My mouth is moving but nothing’s changing
I just can’t leave it alone
Nervous defense that’s doubled to senseless
Milked it dry like a bone
I milked it dry like a bone
I just can’t leave it alone
I milked it dry like a bone
I just can’t leave it alone
But my face makes that sorry shape
I know who I am, but I lost my grace
I'm gettin' a stick and I march for more
Now I was wrong, everybody knows
Everybody knows
No, I mean it, I’m really sorry; here I’ll say it again
I want you to know it that the more I say it
15 Drag Down (02:50)
It’s what they call switching lanes
In the left hand driving in the right hand driving
And it all seems the same
I can’t get enough and you can’t set it up
A big omission and a thin disguise—oooohhhhhhh
And I was hoping for a nice surprise
Down on my knees
I was saying it and you wouldn’t listen and it all can’t go on
I was getting higher; I was trying hard
Oh, drag me down
I need it
Oh, drag me down
Those suspicions are a waste of time—oooohhhhhhh
And I was hoping for a nice surprise
Feed our trouble well
Learn to feel, I can learn to feel
I can hate it
Oh, drag me down
Those suspicions are a waste of time—oooohhhhhhh
And I was hoping for a nice surprise
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