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Rating:
I feared it might happen, and in part it did. I approached the new album by the "poorly drawn Mancunian" with a slight apprehension: are we going to see if a true talent in songwriting, at his first attempt with a major label (Emi), compromises with the market and winks at the charts? The answer instinctively is nì.
“Born In The UK”, the new, awaited (!!) work by Badly Drawn Boy, is without a doubt a good album, but for those, like myself, who have especially loved the previous album “One Plus One Is One,” it represents a step back in terms of creativity. Let’s be clear, real gems can still be found here (the title track is a small one-chord miracle, not to mention Degrees Of Separation or Welcome To The Overground), but the overall work feels a bit flat and imbued with a feeling of "already heard" that leaves no room for enthusiasm.
The clean sounds and a very attentive production have, in some ways, muted the surprising melodic twists that instead characterized the previous work. I feel like saying that this "Born In The UK" (the title is an explicit homage, in perfect British humor, to the Springsteen myth) suffers from the typical flaw of works that had a troubled gestation: it is overproduced. As per the express voice of the bearded author, this album was written twice, and in the 13 songs that make up the album, this factor sometimes emerges glaringly. Nonetheless, talent remains talent. The references made in previous BdB records (Lennon, The Boss, Costello, Drake, etc.) are all found here, and the capabilities and, in my opinion, the potential of the Mancunian remain unchanged.
“Born In The UK” will have the merit of introducing this chubby genius to a wider audience, but let's hope that after breaking the ice with the mainstream, Badly returns to experimenting and, why not, dares more in the search for the perfect melody.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
03 Degrees of Separation (04:17)
Degrees of Separation
We figure out the past through photographs
They took while we were young
Even though there's no way out, we'll find one
We're the love-struck ones
The degrees of separation close in
Look who just walked in
A finger on the pulse is not enough
To show who's wrong from right
You know it's gonna be a long drive
Not an easy ride
The degrees of separation close in
Look who just walked in
Leave the lights on
If you're the last one alive
There's too many strangers on this long
Lonely drive
I'll be by your side
Believe me
Now, no-one knows the year
You're from the past
You look like you're alive
You know it's gonna be a long drive
Not an easy ride
The degrees of separation close in
Look who just walked in
I kept the photograph upon the dash
It helped me realise
That it didn't have to be a long drive
But an easy ride
The degrees of separation close in
We're alone again
Leave the lights on
If you're the last one alive
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By sylvian1982
The somewhat overproduced album... does not contain truly dull moments.
"Nothing's Gonna Change Your Mind," a classic piano ballad where the ghost of Elton John is much more than a spiritual presence.
