Band dal basso profilo commerciale (sicuramente in Italia) i Juliana Theory sono un po' strani nell'affollato sistema dell'emo rock americano. Se i loro inizi infatti erano puramente debitori verso il suddetto genere, con questo "Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat" i nostri si sono evoluti. La maturazione può essere dovuta a una serie di problemi interni, vicissitudini varie con le etichette, discrepanze di gruppo, tutti elementi che hanno portato allo scioglimento della band due anni fa. Giusto il tempo di sfornare quest'ultima opera, la quarta in studio, dotata di un suono maggiormente aggressivo, più rock a 360°, dai contenuti tardoadolescenziali di facilissima presa, anche grazie a una melodia oggettivamente friendly, giocata su ritornelli di subitanea presa, intensi e efficaci.
Come coscienza popolare insegna non tutte le ciambelle escono con il buco. Difatti a episodi di ottimo tiro, lanciati, veloci e coinvolgenti, ne corrispondono altri più molli, troppo pop e mielosi.
Interessanti a tal proposito l'opener "This Is A Lovesong... For The Loveless", "Shotgun Serenade", "My Heart Is A Soldier" e "10000 Questions", adrenaliniche e suonate tutte di un fiato, così come "I Love You To Death", con le chitarre che si espandono in ariose nenie quasi post-rock. Un po' più incolori invece le restanti, tra le quali spicca in senso negativo (almeno a mio avviso) "Leave Like A Ghost", incentrata su una base melodica e su un platter concettuale già sentiti; il rimanente galleggia invece nella norma, in perenne bilico tra l'estrema orecchiabilità e la sensazione di già sentito, ma non per questo risulta da buttare.
In definitiva un gruppo interessante, del quale mi sarebbe piaciuto seguire l'evoluzione, che se avesse seguito i connotati tracciati da questo disco ci avrebbe consegnato una band matura e affidabile. Quanto accaduto ai JT mi ricorda vagamente la storia dei Matchbook Romance, anche loro scioltisi nel momento di svolta maggiore (quel "Voices", peraltro già recensito, che generò e genera pareri più che contrastanti). Voto 7 dunque, con un pizzico di rammarico e dispiacere per la perdita di un gruppo dalle ottime prospettive.
Elenco tracce testi e video
03 Shotgun Serenade (04:11)
I know you're dying to tell me everything that you want to say, but I'm not listening.
Try to tell me everything that you want to say.
I know you're trying to force me. Feed me lies but I'm on my way. Can you taste it now?
I'm dying to watch your face when I walk away.
Here's the final bullet to put our love to death. Our days are never coming back.
I know it's you. I can forget. Bang, bang. Shoot, shoot.
There's a freight train coming to force your head in check. Our love is never coming back.
I know it's you. I can forget our love forever ending.
I know you're dying to tell me everything that you want to say, but I'm not listening.
Trying to tell me everything will be okay. Well be okay.
You're trying to warm my heart but you freeze my blood. There's ice inside my veins.
I'm only dying to watch your face when I turn away, and Ill turn away.
But you cannot separate the two things I would live or die for.
I'd kill to separate your heart from your head. That's to die for.
Here's the final bullet to put our love to death. Our days are never coming back.
I know it's you. I can forget. Bang, bang. Shoot, shoot.
There's a freight train coming to force your head in check. Our love is never coming back.
I know it's you. I can forget our love forever ending.
You're just a waste of a song. You're a simple regret.
I thought I knew who you were, but watch how fast I forget.
You wore your prettiest dress, but there's a mess in your head.
They say old habits die hard. I say they're better off dead,
cause you were bitter and cold, but still you burned me alive.
You held the match to my skin and poured the fuel on the fire.
You're not my favorite mistake. You're just a simple regret.
I though I knew who you were, but watch how fast and watch how well I forget.
It's too late to play the good guy. It's too late to play the good guy now.
It's too late to play the good guy. Goodbye.
Here's the final bullet to put our love to death.
Our days are never coming back.
I know it's you that can't forget. Bang, bang. Shoot, shoot.
There's a freight train coming to force your head in check.
Our love is never coming back.
I know it's you. I can forget our love forever ending.
There's a freight train coming to force your head in check. Our love is never coming back.
07 This Valentine Ain't No Saint (03:49)
You got away with murder and all I got was the brunt.
You were swinging you words like punches. It was your shot, your shot, your shot.
At least I got away with your money, and all you got was my heart.
I'm never telling you that I'm sorry, cause it's your fault, your fault, your fault.
But now that you're gone everything is all right. In fact I'm better off this way.
Now that you're dead to me it's all right. I'll never throw my heart away.
You like to point your finger, but girl you know it's not that hard.
You told me that I was heartless, but that's what you got so wrong.
At least I got away with your money, and all you got was my heart.
I'm never telling you that I'm sorry, cause it's your fault, your fault, your fault.
I was minding my own business when you sought me out to shoot me down.
But now that you're gone everything is all right. In fact I'm better off this way.
Now that you're dead to me it's all right. (Shot down again, already dead).
I'll never throw my heart away.
I was minding my own business when you sought me out to shoot me down.
Where were you when I needed you? You just sought me out to shoot me down.
Come on and get it.
Murder.
But now that you're gone everything is all right. In fact I'm better off this way.
Now that you're dead to me it's all right. (Shot down again, already dead).
I never throw my heart away.
Goodbye, goodbye Valentine
That's what you want. That's what you'll get.
08 10,000 Questions (03:59)
You left without a sound.
Ten thousand questions to the answers I never found.
You're not around, and I'm left to chase
ten thousand answers for yesterday.
Like: How could I be so removed in the background waiting for you?
And what do we have? What do we have?
What do we have if we don't have each other now?
You left me here to count ten thousand
questions to the answers. I'd rather drown.
Now I dance alone on the floor you made
of ten thousand answers that never came.
Like: Why am I left to pretend?
I'm trapped in a past life again?
And what do we have? What do we have?
What do we have if we don't have each other now?
What good is dreaming when I can't even sleep here?
What good is lying down with no one to hold?
What good is letting go when something won't let me?
What good is saying goodbye now that you're gone?
And what do we have? What do we have?
What do we have if we don't have each other now?
I'm on my own. I'm all alone. I'm on my own.
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