Premetto che degli UNKLE non conosco nulla.
So solo che hanno già pubblicato un altro album completo (PSYENCE FICTION, 1998, per la Island Records) ed una pletora di Ep, singoli e remix, che il duo in origine era formato da James Lavelle - il boss della Mo' Wax Records - e da Dj Shadow, e che dopo il ritiro di quest'ultimo è arrivato Richard File, un altro esperto manipolatore di macchine infernali. Non conoscendo il primo album posso solo immaginare che fosse intriso da sonorità hip-hop e trip-hop, vista la presenza di Dj Shadow. Leggendo la bio su internet pare fosse proprio così...

Invece la matrice che sorregge NEVER NEVER LAND (Island) è fatta di un electro-rock decisamente spaziale.
Con quest'album gli UNKLE (alieni con il cranio a cono e le orecchie a punta) ci accompagnano in un lungo e tortuoso viaggio siderale nella "terra di nessuno".
Avete in mente la radio accesa in SONGS FOR THE DEAF dei QOTSA? È come fare un viaggio su una Mustang attraverso il confine con il Messico, vero? Ecco, con NEVER NEVER LAND sembra di fare lo stesso, solo con un'astronave stellare ai confini dello spazio... Metalliche voci in sottofondo, suoni magnetici e palpitanti, intermezzi electro-seminali... il trait d'union che lega i pezzi è come uno space-trip tra supernovae e pianeti di altre galassie.

Spedizione nello spazio infinito dove è possibile incontrare delle entità seducenti: un grande Josh Homme alla voce nella compressa e lenta Safe In Mind, Ian Brown e Mani degli Stone Roses nella sdolcinata ma armoniosa Reign, 3D dei Massive Attack in piena forma mezzanina in Invasion, Brian Eno e Jarvis Cocker che sfoderano i loro micidiali kaos-ambient-sintetizzatori in I Need Something Stronger...
Questo strano, ipnotico percorso prosegue senza sobbalzi, intrigando fino alla fine, tra la screamadelica Glow (con il vocalist Joel Cadbury degli South) e la bellissima ballata conclusiva Inside.

Disco interessante, complicato, colmo di dettagli. Sontuoso electro-nu-prog-rock, assolutamente da ascoltare con le cuffie. Consigliatissimo a chi ama la musica nelle sue cosmiche alterazioni.

Elenco tracce testi e video

01   Back and Forth (00:54)

What's it like...
to be back?

You see things in life
And you'd bit surprise what you see
Life, your whole life, is changes
You go through changes in your life
One second you've got it made
Next second, you're down in the dumps
And it goes back and forth
Throughout your whole life
One second you've got the most beautiful girl in the world
Next second, you don't even have a girlfriend no more
And it goes back and forth
And back and forth, you know?
And this is life, man, it's changes
This is what you gotta go through throughout your whole lifetime

I'm going through changes...
I'm going through changes...
I'm going through changes...

Never...
Never...
Land...

02   Eye for an Eye (05:45)

Even now in Heaven there were angels carrying savage weapons

An eye for an eye
A tooth for a tooth
Run, run, run, but you sure can't hide
An eye for an eye
A tooth for a tooth
Run, run, run, but you sure can't hide

Does our ruin benefit the earth?
Does it help the grass to grow?
The sun to shine?
Is this darkness in you too?
Have you passed through this Night?

Run, run, run, but you sure can't hide

Where you're going, you're not coming back from

Run, run, run, but you sure can't hide
An eye for an eye
A tooth for a tooth
Run, run, run, but you sure can't hide
An eye for an eye
A tooth for a tooth
Run, run, run, but you sure can't hide

This great Evil...
Where's it coming from?
How'd it steal into the world?
Who's doing this?
Who's killing us?
Mocking us with the sight of what we might have known

Run, run, run...
Run, run, run...
An eye for an eye...
A tooth for a tooth...
Run, run, run, but you sure can't hide
An eye for an eye...
A tooth for a tooth...
Run, run, run, but you sure can't hide
(An eye for an eye...)
Are you righteous?
(A tooth for a tooth...)
Kind?
(Run, run, run but you sure can't hide...)
Does your confidence lie in this?
(An eye for an eye...)
Are you loved by all?
(A tooth for a tooth...)
Do you imagine your sufferings will be less?
(Run, run, run, but you sure can't hide...)
Because you loved goodness, truth?
An eye for an eye...
A tooth for a tooth...
Run, run, run, but you sure can't hide...
Run, run, run, but you sure can't hide...
What are you to me?

03   In a State (06:59)

My mind is in a state
Cause all I seem to do is take my fate
Well I try a bigger space
But all the world are crushing at the gate

This time...
This time...
Reality's struck me between the eyes

My mind is in a state
As everything I miss it comes too late
So I try and disappear
To do there is only one way out of fear
This time...
This time...
Reality's struck me between the eyes

My mind is in a state
But all I need to do is change my pace
And I know there's fear to face
But happiness is fogging as embrace
This time...
This time...
This time...
This time...

This time...

This time...

04   Safe in Mind (Please Get This Gun From Out My Face) (06:21)

Don't you go to turn around
Under the moon and stars
Can you find where hides the love?
Breathing down your neck

Someone's found a way
Someone's found a way
Someone's found a way
Someone's found a way
Someone's found a way
Someone's found a way
Someone's found a way
Someone's found a way

I see the moon, the moon sees
All I do is twist in the breeze

Someone's found a way
To break into my mind
Someone's found a way
To break into my mind
Someone's found a way
To break into my mind
Someone's found a way
To break into my mind
(Someone's found a way...)
....to break into my mind....

Life's a gun that's always pointing
Life's a gun that's pointing in my face

Aaaahhhh...
Aaaahhhh...

(Someone's found a way...)
(Someone's found a way...)
(Someone's found a way...)
(Someone's found a way...)
Aaaahhhh...
Aaaahhhh...

Aaaahhh...
Someone's found a way...
Someone's found a way...
Aaaahhh...
Someone's found a way...
Someone's found a way...
(To break into my mind...)
(To break into my mind...)

I like...
The street, the smells
The sense of the underworld
Sometimes you come face to face with yourself

05   I Need Something Stronger (04:08)

And I wrote my happiest songs
Every child may joy to you
What's wrong?
Nothing but the real
It is you that needed something stronger
I need something stronger...
If you have a problem don't hesitate to ask for assistance

What's wrong?
What's wrong?
Nothing...

What's wrong...?
What's wrong...?

(What's wrong?)

Wha, wha, wha, wha, wha.....

Can you feel this?
What is that buzzing?
Are you now, or have you ever, moved slowly?
(I need something stronger)
(?????)
(???????)

(What's wrong...?)
(What's wrong...?)

What's wrong?
It's just a matter by you looking it, that's all...

06   What Are You to Me? (06:52)

07   Panic Attack (05:13)

As I juxtapose
Between lock and load
Gotta cut some slack
Between these back to back panic attacks
(Panic attack panic attack)

I love the madness
It's killing me
Our love is behind
And I'm so blind I cannot see

As I juxtapose
In between lock and load
Gotta cut some slack
Between these back to back panic attacks
(Panic attack panic attack)

I love the madness
It's killing me
Our love is behind
And I'm so blind I cannot see
I love the madness

08   Invasion (05:15)

Show them only
Flesh you needed
You want it for you too
Stares, stares that follow
Stares, stares that follow
They want it for you

Are you all that
You're cracked up to be?
We all want it for you

Sacrificial
Made for TV
Laughter's coming
And goodbye kisses
Gave him family
Pray your dream
Pray you're dreaming

Are you all that
You're cracked up to be?
We all want it for you
Are you all that
You're cracked up to be?
We all want it for you

Stares that follow
Friends to call on
Don't be desperate
Show them once
Sacrificial
Made for TV
Laughter's coming
Goodbye kisses
Pray you stutter
Pray it's not old
Goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye

09   Reign (05:32)

I am the lightning, i am the heat
I am the rain, rain oh, rain oh, rain (reign) all day
I am the rain
I'm gonna reign this way again
I am the rain

I am the spy
Before the blade
I am the raindrop out at sea I cause
The ripples that becoming crashing waves
I am the rain, rain oh, rain oh, rain (reign) all day
I am the rain

You thought a different day had come
A day you thought the earth was done
And if you could have said it all
I know you would have said it all
You thought a different day had come
A day you thought the earth was done
And if you could have said it all
I know you would have said it all

I am the rain
I'm gonna reign this way again (this reign way again)
I am the rain, rain oh, rain oh, rain (reign) all day

You thought a different day had come
A day you thought the earth was done
I am the rain
And if you could have said it all
I know you would have said it all
I am the rain

10   Glow (04:18)

Out of all context and scenery
It shows laughter is inside of me
Aching paths dont cross so easily
Break my back to see things differently

So glow
We've held off the cold
Low and behold
The seasons passing too

I find reasons and stop wondering
The different ways in which we feel the same
Give to much to..???
Now the second time means more to me

So glow
We've held off the cold
So glow
We've held off the cold
Low and behold
Turns winter spring and fall

11   Inside (07:21)

The only thing that burns in Hell
Is the part of you that won't let go of your life
Your memories, your attachments
They burn them all away
But they're not punishing you, they say
They're freeing your soul, relax

Something's gone
This can't go on
This open road
For far to long
Through all these tears
No light appears
And all that trust
It's turned to dust
So one thing's clear
Am I here?
Am I here?

So break on through
For something true
Cause love's confused
And now I see
Sense in all of this
Something's got to give

You don't wanna see
You don't wanna see inside of me
You don't wanna see
You don't wanna see inside of me
You don't wanna see
You don't wanna see inside of me
You don't wanna see
You don't wanna see inside of me

In time
You'll find
In time
You'll find

You don't wanna see
You don't wanna see
You don't wanna see
You don't wanna see, you don't wanna see inside of me

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