Dovevano essere un progetto parallelo di poca durata nella fredda Vancouver. Il loro debutto, “Mass Romantic”, una meteora. Com’è finita? Hanno sbancato! A capo di questa line-up di prim’ordine troviamo il promotore, l’ex Zumpano, voce e autore di 9 testi su 13 Carl Newman e il valore aggiunto, la sensualissima e straripante Neko Case.
All’indomani di questa seconda prova i New Pornographers si sono affrettati a precisare che la band è il loro primo impegno, piuttosto che un esperimento a breve termine, a confermarlo il successivo tour estivo.
“Electric Version” meriterebbe due recensioni. Ai primi ascolti è strepitoso, coinvolgente, potente. Un power-pop degno di Kniks o Pixes. Ritornelli esplosivi che ti prendono al primo ascolto, impossibile non lasciarsi coinvolgere da questa dilagante felicità collettiva. Mi viene in mente la scena di “Full Monty” in cui ai protagonisti, in fila al collocamento, non riesce di resistere alla “Hot Stuff” di Donna Summer. Allo stesso modo sfido chiunque a rimanere fermo all’ascolto di queste vibrazioni! Ricordo che quando uscì, nel Giugno 2003, per me fu una droga, non potevo toglierlo dal lettore.
Tuttavia il disco ha anche dei grossi limiti, mascherati dall’entusiasmo che permea tutto l’album. Le canzoni alla lunga risultano un po’ prevedibili. Insomma se è vero, come disse Calvino che “Un classico è un libro che non ha mai finito di dire quel che ha da dire”, (se pure con le debite proporzioni) questo non è un classico! Ciò non toglie che è sicuramente un buon disco, e i New Pornographers un gruppo da seguire oggi e in futuro. E se è l’energia che cercate questo fa per voi!
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 The Electric Version (02:53)
The sound of God is the screech of tires
Lights and magnets, bolts and wires
Strayed from the road, this very one
Still to come
The sound of tires is the sound of God
The electric version
The power and blood will pulse through your song
Just as long as it
Sounds lost
Sounds lost
Sounds lost
Streaming out of the magnets
Strung together like Christmas lights
Twelve whole seconds of history might
Lead you from where you went off the track
Welcome back
Our electric version calls
You alone create the full
Spectrum of light
So what could go wrong?
Just as long as it
Sounds lost
Sounds lost
Sounds lost
Streaming out of the magnets
Streaming out of the magnets
Streaming out of the magnets
The card you're dealt by the crowd goes wild
Make believe you are an only child
Here are the clothes
Please put them on
Still to come
A new parade of faith and sparks
The electric version harks
Back to the day when there was no wrong
Just as long as it
Sounds lost
Sounds lost
Sounds lost
Streaming out of the magnets
Streaming out of the magnets
Streaming out of the magnets
07 All for Swinging You Around (03:42)
exploding international
the scenes, the sounds
and famously the feeling
that you can't squeeze 'round
while tearing off another page
of loose change
outrage
it's another perfect day
until the night shows
exploding international
the wind did howl
the sky above was thick with rings of smoke
and clouds
and hanging on the bleeding end
of conscious
who's this?
was there anything I missed
as far as you know?
was it all for swinging you around?
exploding international
the sun, the sights
the moments you are viewing
through a beam of light
propel you through the golden age
we crash-land the first page
on a crumbling world stage
into the front rows
all for swinging you around
and off your feet
all the love you found
spinning 'round
we're twisting incognito
with no time, can't talk
can't tell if this is fantasy
or culture shock
or remnants of a golden age
that's near mint unplayed
or a welcome overstayed
beneath the lightshow
all for swinging you around
09 Testament to Youth in Verse (03:57)
should you go lookin'
for a testament to youth in verse
variations on the age old curse
you blame the stations
when they play you like a fool
and like a fool you get played with
baby, think twice
maybe it's not all
maybe it's not alright
finally a decent picture of the exodus
i don't know much
but other singers know less, and
can we control ourselves for once?
keep our hands off each other
keep our minds on the sum
of each other
oh my sweet witness
can't you hear the voices?
they're telling the children to rock
for their choices
the bells ring
no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no...
12 July Jones (04:18)
come clean
through the waves
of debris
the mind's eye
is first to go
so hang onto that number
like gold
and get thee
back to the old truth
July Jones
'cause baby there's a lot
we don't know
one of the greats
on the way
- hold on -
behind the daylight
who knew
what it could feel like?
class war
held your hand
through your plans
but not me
but stay free
baby
there are worse things
to be
so lay free
in your faith beside me
but lay low
'cause baby there's a lot
we don't know
class war
kissed your lips
left you stripped
to your toes
and i know
that baby it's so much
to outgrow
so get thee
back to the old truth
July Jones
'cause baby there's a lot
we don't know
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