Se il precedente "When Broken Is Easily Fixed" poteva sembrare ancora un po' acerbo, qui i Silverstein fanno quadrato, smussano tutti gli angoli del loro sound e arrivano alla prova del secondo full-lenght con molte certezze e una conferma: il five-pieces canadese a differenza di molti, continua sulla sua strada.
Se adesso sono al top della scena emocore odierna, il successo è tutto meritato. E' quest'ultimo è dato proprio da "Discovering The Waterfront". Che fa suo una grafica di copertina quanto mai sublime, e che già da se è una fotografia istantanea sul tipo di approccio musicale della band.
A differenza del lavoro precedente, che conteneva 2/3 pezzi da urlo ("Smashed into pieces" su tutte) e poi si perdeva un po', qui i nostri sono riusciti ad ovviare al problema, scrivendo tanti buoni pezzi e riff indimenticabili che altre band userebbero per costruirci su tre album. Un misto di malinconia, speranza, rabbia e sofferenza, questo si percepisce durante l'ascolto del platter. Tutto questo vortice emotivo trova il suo compimento durante le 11 tracce che alternano sapientemente tratti di power-pop con dolci arpeggi e vocals delicati, a sfuriate hardcore con urla laceranti e leggere sfumature metal.
Difficile trovare una traccia più bella delle altre, al contrario tutte riescono a non sfigurare nel complesso, mantenendosi su ottimi livelli.
Come si dice in questi casi c'è né un po' per tutti i gusti e tutte le tasche. Si parte con la carica di "Your sword vs. my dagger" che tira fuori il lato hardcore della band, concretizzandosi in un finale elettrico con riff di estrazione metal che si sovrappongono ad un basso quanto mai pulsante sul ponte, fino al singolo di successo "Smile in your sleep" che alterna sapientemente strofe tranquille caratterizzate da una splendida melodia con un bridge dove le chitarre alzano la voce.
Scorrendo si fanno notare i violini che sorreggono la ballad del disco ovvero la title-track "Discovering the waterfront", ma a risaltare maggiormente sono gli assalti frontali di "Fist wrapped in blood" che si conclude con un finale tiratissimo, con urla laceranti e riff metallici, la splendida atmosfera tranquilla e sognante di "Ideas of march" e le ritmiche incalzanti di "Defend you", a conti fatti il pezzo più hc del lotto insieme all'opener.
Da annoverare nella lista delle migliori pure "Always and never" che colpisce per l'incisività e intensità dell'attacco urlato e che finisce in un ritornello da pogo.
Menzione a parte merita "My heroine" uno dei pezzi emocore più belli degli ultimi anni, che da sola vale l'ascolto dell'intero disco e dà un idea precisa di chi siano i Silverstein. Una gemma che brilla di luce propria, con un riffing base spettacolare, che mette ancor più in risalto la grande prova dietro il microfono di Shane Told. Qui malinconia e aggressività sembrano andare a braccetto come l'odio con l'amore, due facce della stessa medaglia che sembra impossibile separare. Bello pure il video della song ambientato in un ospedale.
Le ultime pennellate per completare il dipinto generale sono portate dall'ispirata quanto nei riff, quanto nell'effetto delle spoken words "Already dead", "Three hours back" e da "Call it karma", che tramite i suoi backing vocals ci dà il saluto finale. Componimento questo che assume ulteriore bellezza nella sua versione acustica contenuta della raccolta di ep e rarità del gruppo "18 Candles: The Early Years".
Una prova ottima da parte di tutta la band e un'ottima produzione aumentano notevolmente il valore all'infinito dell'opera. Azzeccate le scelte dei suoni e delle armonizzazioni, che stavolta vedono la drastica riduzione dell'uso del violino, a conti fatti usato solo su un brano. E poi è difficile non farsi catturare dagli splendidi vocals sia che essi siano sussurrati, melodici o screaming di Shane Told, una delle voci più belle del genere. Forse insieme a Dustin Kensrue dei Thrice in assoluto le più affascinanti.
Un'ulteriore nota positiva va ricercata a livello di songwriting: i canadesi dimostrano di avere a disposizione diversi formati-canzone dalla loro parte. Riuscendo così a rendere il tutto molto vario e tenendo a debita distanza la noia.
In conclusione, disco consigliato a tutti, sia a chi già li conosce, sia a chi fosse un novizio del genere e vuole approfondire la materia. Senza dubbio "Discovering The Waterfront" rimane una piccola gemma che brilla di luce propria, in un oceano (genere) troppo affollato come quello odierno, facendosi notare come pochi altri e rimanendo per ora il picco della loro carriera e uno dei più belli nel suo ambito.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
02 Smile in Your Sleep (03:13)
When I'm lying in your bed play the motions through my head
you know that I'm thinking, I'm thinking...
and I have reasons to believe that I'm not the only
one you spend this time with, but I'll stay...
[Chorus]
You say you're weak,
you wont let me down [x2]
you lie through your teeth
you smile in your sleep [x2]
When we met you said we were the same, you know
that we're different, we're different,
and all the times you promised me that everything would
work out in the end, you were gravely mistaken
[Chorus]
You lie [x4], you lie through your teeth
you wont let me down, you lie
and I deserve better than this
I dream of steel maroon and red
your end[x3], You gasp for air
I'll see this through, I'll see through you,
your pale [x4], your pale blue eyes
When you're lying in your bed, your eulogies been read
you know that it's fading, you lied
[Chorus]
You smile [x4] and I deserve better than this
03 The Ides of March (03:27)
Tie me up with sheets and hang me from your tree
I'll stay out here all night
It doesn’t even matter
As long I can see into your room and feel
Like I'm inside your life
I'll follow you forever
Don’t cut me down just yet
I'll make things right again
Don’t close your blinds on me (on me)
[Chorus]
I will never recover from this
I will never believe in this again
I can never go back to the way I used to be before this started
This snow won't go away
My nose runs down my face
No one sees me here
It doesn’t even matter
And every step I take
I stay in the same place
I can't begin to start again
Why can't I just be perfect?
I will never recover from this
I will never believe in this again
I can never go back to the way I used to be before this started [x2]
You've seen my ghost and you'll never forget it
My face is as white as the snow that haunts me
Your window's my door and nothing can stop me
Sometimes betrayal can make you happy
Don’t cut me down just yet
I'll make things right again
Don’t close your blinds on me (on me)
I will never recover from this
I will never believe in this again
I can never go back to the way I used to be before this started [x2]
04 Fist Wrapped in Blood (02:57)
Come on!
Finish me off, follow the plan.
Break all the bonds, sever the ties.
And now your mission is complete,
Find and destroy me.
Torturing me, with words from your lips.
Filleting my skin, pulling my teeth.
Please forgive me for not being good enough.
Drown your sorrows in my pain
And it's something you can't explain.
When I'm choking on words you'll never say,
And you'll never feel the same.
Bound and gagged,
I cannot move or speak these things I want to say
I can't explain them anyway.
So if I had it all again,
If I could start from the first words I ever said,
I would do it all the same.
Drown your sorrows in my pain
And it's something you can't explain.
When I'm choking on words you'll never say,
And you'll never feel the same.
Your joy is my pain.
My fingers are yours to cut off
And my bones are yours to shatter in pieces.
My teeth are yours to pull out
And my soul is yours to slowly rip apart.
I can't trust anyone I meet.
From now on, my chest
Feels more like a fist wrapped in blood.
05 Discovering the Waterfront (04:45)
I will promise myself I won't care
Distracting myself from your stare
And I've seen this mistake once before
With your games I will never fall for
I've hung up my guns
I won't kill again
I won't forget you
I won't forget you
I'm not gonna let you win
(I'm not gonna)
I'm tired of lying
Tired of fighting you
And its not gonna change
You ask for my heart
You know that I'm down
But not the way you lie to me
You tear it all apart
And beg for me to stay
I've sailed off to sea
I'm not coming back
I won't forget you
I won't forget you
I'm not gonna let you win
I'm not gonna
I'm tired of the lying
Tired of fighting you
And its not gonna change
Counting down
Make that sound
And you know it makes no sense
Counting down
Till you mess around
When I know you can't ever change
Why do you think I'm trembling?
Thrown us apart
When I'm ready to relive the past
Counting down
Make that sound
Break the silence
Pretend its not forever
Ill pull myself together
Ill say that ill forget her
Ill breathe
And ill say she never hurt me
And look at it as learning
And laugh about the good and the bad
Because I will live forever
We don't belong together
I know ill feel better
One day when I can make it through
I won't forget you
I won't forget you
I'm not gonna let you win
I'm not gonna
I'm tired of lying
Tired of fighting you
And its not gonna change
I won't forget you
(Counting down)
I'm not gonna let you win
(Counting down)
I'm tired of the lying
Tired of fighting you
And its not gonna change
06 Defend You (03:28)
I'll write it down
Where you can see
I have gone to sleep
Try to relate
Can't give in to your temptations (temptations)
All your hopes and dreams, I'll take away
Its time that I forget everything
you've taught me (you've taught me)
When I looked up to you
Fall to your knees
And Give up your aspirations (aspirations)
Fall in to your knees
So how can you expect
me to just close my eyes
And forget everything
Defending you is getting
harder everyday, day
I'm breaking down
Behind this fear
If I don't go to my addiction
Make it through yourself
All your hopes and dreams, I'll take away
Its time that I forget everything
you've taught me (you've taught me)
When I looked up to you
So how can you expect
me to just close my eyes
And forget everything
Defending you is getting
hard everyday, day
I look inside myself for strength
Like a million times before
You'll never let it in because
I know you said
I know you said
I know, I know, I know, I know
Fall, I'll show you where this goes (where this goes)
How can you live this way
I'll never forget (Never forget)
Where I come from, Where I've been
I'll never forget you
So how can you expect
me to just close my eyes
And forget everything
Defending you is getting
harder everyday, day
So how can you expect
me to just close my eyes
And forget everything
Defending you is getting
harder everyday, day
You've lost it all
07 My Heroine (03:27)
The drugs begin to peak
A smile of joy arrives in me
But sedation changes to panic and nausea
And breath starts to shorten
And heartbeats pound softer
You won't try to save me
You just want to hurt me
And leave me desperate
You taught my heart
A sense I never knew I had
I can't forget
The times that I was lost and depressed from the awful truth
How do you do it?
You're my heroine
You won't leave me alone
Chisel my heart out of stone
I give in everytime
You taught my heart
A sense I never knew I had
I can't forget
The times that I was lost and depressed from the awful truth
How do you do it?
You're my heroine
I bet you laugh
At the thought of me thinking for myself
I bet you believe
That I'm better off with you then someone else
Your face arrives again
A hope I had becomes surreal
But under your covers
More torture then pleasure
And just past your lips
There's more anger then laughter
Not now or forever will I ever change you
I know that to go on I'll break you, my habit
You taught my heart
A sense I never knew I had
I can't forget
The times that I was lost and depressed from the awful truth
How do you do it?
You're my heroine
I will save myself!
08 Always and Never (03:49)
This was my fate, giving in
To your lips, to your eyes
I should have known
It would come back to haunt me
Crooked smile, the reflection in your eyes
That shows my weakness for
Beautiful mistakes,
Something that I know you've seen before,
I'm not the first
Set the trap, I'm falling for it every time
I can't believe
Everyone knew from the start
This would come back to haunt me
I can't stand to see you now!
How could I ever trust you?
Take it back to the streets,
I'll start again
I'll never look back,
I'll never look back, back
How do you feel?
I bet you don't feel anything!
Don't have a heart attack
Don't have a heart attack
But I won't stop you
Flying high, razor blades make perfect lines,
On just about anything you want
Broken pores spill out, everything you want to say,
It shows my weakness for
Falling in love with
My wallowing despair that shines in black
It consumes me, I'll take it back
I'll build it back to what it was
I can't believe everyone knew from the start
This would come back to haunt me
I can't stand to see you now!
How could I ever trust you?
Take it back to the streets,
I'll start again
I'll never look back,
I'll never look back, back
How do you feel?
I bet you don't feel anything!
Don't have a heart attack
Don't have a heart attack
But I won't stop you
I can't believe everyone knew from the start
This would come back to haunt me
I can't stand to see you now!
How could I ever trust you?
Cut me out, of your life
Like its nothing, like I'm nothing!
Make believe you can love,
That it's better, that your better!
Part of me is gone
You've taken
You've taken
You've taken
You've taken
Part of me is gone,
You've taken
You've taken
Pieces from me
Take it back to the streets,
I'll start again
I'll never look back,
I'll never look back, back
How do you feel?
I bet you don't feel anything!
Don't have a heart attack
Don't have a heart attack
But I won't stop you
You won't stop, you'll never change
You won't stop, you'll never change
09 Already Dead (03:17)
You won't find me here, the place that you expected me to be
In my bed on the second floor
I'm outside your house
I'm closing in on you
And all the times you smiled
You said hello and thought I was ok
I was planning your final struggle
{Chorus}
When you wake up I'll be there
When you see me you'll be on your back again
When you know you're already dead, you'll love me too
You will find me here
The place you least expected me to be
Breaking through your basement window
I'm outside your room, I can hear you breathe
And all the times you laughed
You shook my hand and thought I was your friend
I was planning your tragic ending
When you wake up I'll be there
When you see me you'll be on your back again
When you know you're already dead, you'll love me too
You'll look down on me
With eyes of endless tragedy
Try and stop the pain
But there's never closure
Find your solace in what you could have been
When they look for me
The evidence is buried deep
Try to guide the way into the darkness
When you wake up I'll be there
When you see me you'll be on your back again
When you know you're already dead, you'll love me too
Looking down on me through eyes that never stop crying
Looking down on me, will you ever look away?
11 Call It Karma (03:34)
blame it on the weather, but i'm a mess
and this february darkness has me hating everyone
and i know i need your comfort, but this drama makes me sick
and the longer i lay here, i know it's harder to get up
without you
[chorus]
lose another day here
lose another year here
i'm with you
Finally, something out there, that's making sense
and it's just another trend carefully hidden in your dress
and this cycles neverending, and this fashions overdone
and the further that i run away, the further i'll come back
to shelter...
[chorus]
lose another day here
lose another year here
i'm with you
you are the fire, on my apartment floor
sixteen stories, i'd rather burn then fall
and it isn't fate, that took us all by storm
it's just the turn of a card
[chorus]
lose another day here
lose another year here
i'm with you
you are the fire, on my apartment floor
sixteen stories, i'd rather burn then fall
and it isn't fate, that took us all by storm
it's just the turn of a card
goodbye old friend
goodbye goodnight
i'll move on
you'll call it fate, i'll call it karma
we had our time, it was fun
while it lasted
i'll look back, with honor
and no regrets
i won't be mad, won't feel bad
these memories will never leave me
don't be sad
cause life goes on, life goes on
it's getting too late
tomorrow is here
Carico i commenti... con calma
Altre recensioni
Di Funeral For A Friend
L'album si presenta come un miscuglio di emozioni e sofferenze concentrate su 11 canzoni, 11 tracce spettacolari che vi entreranno in testa e non usciranno più.
Io credo vivamente che i Silverstein con questo album, il disco della conferma se vogliamo, ci siano riusciti, e alla grande.
