• Voto:
La Scozia nel 2004 è stata protagonista della scena pop-rock alternativa mondiale, basti pensare al fenomeno dei Franz Ferdinand o ai nuovissimi Dogs Die In Hot Cars, ma di certo uno dei gruppi di maggior rilievo provenienti da questo paese sono proprio i Delgados.
"Universal Audio" è il loro quarto album, l'ennesimo lavoro che conferma il valore assoluto della band nel genere pop. Undici canzoni orecchiabili, carine ed eleganti; ma nessuna sorpresa, nessuna innovazione, nessun passo in avanti della band. Questo disco è talmente perfetto che risulta alla fine troppo artificiale, talmente ben confezionato che risulta privo d'anima. Peccato, perchè il precedente Hate (2002) quantomeno aggiungeva alle canzoni una massiccia orchestrazione, dando quel tocco in più di classe e ricercatezza sonora che in questo disco mancano. Di positivo resta comunque l'alta qualità dei pezzi, che presi uno per uno non sono affatto male: su tutti "Sink Or Swim"(dolce ballata acustica) e "I Fought The Angels" (il brano più rock dell'album).
Stride come nei precedenti lavori dei Delgados l'utilizzo di due voci: magnifica quella femminile di Emma Pollock, carente in qualità quella maschile di Alun Woodward.
Consiglio questo disco a chi vuole ascoltare un po' di pop alternativo e ben fatto, ma per chi vuole trovare nella musica indie qualcosa di nuovo è meglio che lasci stare questi Delgados o quanto meno provi il precedente "Hate" che è di gran lunga un album più interessante.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 I Fought the Angels (03:20)
I
Fought the angels here today
Hope
My defeat will end this play
Everybody knows that
I only have myself to blame
Everybody knows that
Softly, softly wins the game
Trust
I'll try to learn again
My words
Are seldom for a friend
Knew
At the time that they came out
Wish
I could have them disallowed
Everybody knows that
We say things we do not mean
Everybody knows that
We say things that are unclean
Trust
I'll try to learn again
My words
Are seldom for a friend
Run
Conversations in my head
Write
My own scripts to dish the dread
And if I speak out loud
I will have to change the rules
For speaking's out of bounds
If it's practised by a fool
Trust
I'll try to learn again
My words
Are seldom for a friend
So lend me
An ear to lean upon
To speak to
And learn my speaking from
03 Everybody Come Down (03:14)
see a place, see a sore
see a reason to believe in more
better still take a walk
take a pickup from the only stop
she is ill, he is still
just as tired* as he was before
comes around with some chat
with a dagger hanging in your back
it's insane because
everybody come down
we can drive
we can race
we can celebrate space
everybody come down
to the place I've erased
I started to believe
but I never did believe in you
got a slap in your face from the mafia who ran the place
was a girl with the thrill liked to show me how she knew the drill
for a while kept head low* then decided I could ace her blow
moved away then she stayed now she's living for the hit parade
it's insane because
everybody come down
we can drive
we can race
we can celebrate space
everybody come down
to the place I've erased
I started to believe
but I never did believe in you
everybody come down
we can drive
we can race
we can celebrate space
everybody come down
we have hills
we have pills
we have people in place
everybody come down
everybody come down
everybody come down
everybody come down
everybody come down
everybody come down
everybody come down
everybody come down
down down down down down
down down down
down down down down down
down down down
04 Come Undone (03:31)
So she said
Far enough
Far enough is here
Homeward bound
Pieces found
Rest is all you need
Saw a girl
She was taking a walk
She was looking round for someone else
She was hiding from everything
Even scared of her own reflection
This is how it feels to drown
This is how we come undone
When you just can't remember
How you came by the memories that you have
These are days that go on too long
These are days that you really don't want to last
This is how it feels to drown
This is how we come undone
Take me back
The sky and the earth
Just relax
For what it is worth
I love you, dear
I will hold you near
Why am I not questioning?
Why am I not running from all I know?
All I know is forgotten now
I think my circle is about to close
This is how it feels to drown
This is how we come undone
Take me back
The sky and the earth
Just relax
For what it is worth
I love you, dear
I will hold you near
06 Sink or Swim (02:57)
you're a single survivor
found an ocean between you and those that you lost
got a phonecall this morning
told your sisters had always been part of the quest
will they know what you look like
when you step of the bus will they run to your side
like they know you from photos
like they know you from stories that kept you alive
are you gonna sink or swim
from coast to coast is more than you bargin for
are you gonna lose or win
from ties and lies
is something worth trying for
when you sit round the table
will you look into the faces and just see your own
will you talk of the future
will you talk of the things that were almost unknown
are you gonna sink or swim (it's so strange)
from coast to coast is more than you bargin for
are you gonna lose or win (it's so strange)
from ties and lies
is something worth trying for 4x
07 Bits of Bone (02:45)
Bits of bone and lucky stones
Fly the flags cause flags are flown
By this will convey to me
By my monkeys up my tree
Everything wanted is yours, you should know
You can come, you can go
Anything wanted is yours, don't you know?
Easy come, easy go
Bits of bone and broken phones
Currency within my home
If you come round he'll make you bleed
Steal your eyes to make them see
Everything wanted is yours, you should know
You can come, you can go
Anything wanted is yours, don't you know?
Easy come, easy go
By the time I had switched on the light
By the time I forgot how to fight
There were echoes of truth running free
What was more, I was out, I could hear
Bits of bone and saxophones
Fly the flags as flags are flown
By this will convey to me
By my monkeys up my tree
I know them and they know me
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