Blur
Leisure

THE REVIEW

Problem: you have a brother (cousin, nephew...) who is about to become a Teenager. There he is: tousled hair without a model to follow yet, clothes no longer chosen by mom but not quite personal either, timidness concerned about the impending invasion of body hair that will reveal to the world the end of his childhood. You know that at this stage he is waiting for a revelation, a hero to show him how to express his discontent and dissatisfaction. And you are, understandably, worried because lately you have had the chance to observe the dominant trend: black hair with bangs, wide-eyed, smile strictly banned... snap! posing for the selfie! Soundtrack: guitar-laden groups of similarly styled youths talking about their restlessness in such an explicit way that it becomes flat and banal. All these people take themselves and their emotions too seriously. Do you want to save your little one? Do you want to prevent him from jumping on the fashion bandwagon? It’s legitimate: putting aside discussions on the quality of trendy music products (the usual "de gustibus" rule applies) at least for the love of the niche (after all, all of us here could declare that we find ourselves comfortable and in agreement with a minority always...even in a more decent society than this one). Solution: lend him your copy of "Leisure" the first album by Blur (1991, 17 years ago!), certainly not the best of their production, but it deserves a reevaluation and is just right for you. All the classic adolescent themes are there: Love: as an idealization of an unattainable girl, therefore a source of frustration ("She's So High"), and as a powerful and exhausting force ("Wear Me Down"). Boredom: days and years go in one ear and out the other in "Bang" (and by delving into BritPop, our initiate will discover that over the years the feeling remains as the almost-thirty-year-old Cocker sings in "Monday Morning"). Depression: "Birthday" where the entrenchment in the Swamp of Sadness is so deep that it is almost ridiculous with hindsight, but at 15, nothing seems more worthy of seriousness. A song which, paired with Francesco Guccini's "Il compleanno", is ideal for those suffering from birthday depressive syndrome (more common than you might think). Confusion: "Sing", the best song on the album, in fact, used in the soundtrack of "Trainspotting" while the rest of the record is periodically criticized and denied by the authors themselves. Rebellion and Resignation: only the wisest know they go hand in hand. And Albarn is already wise: "There is no other way, all you can do is watch while they play" ("No Other Way"), "Try, try, try, everything remains the same so why try again?" ("Repetition"). Alienation: withdrawing from the real world so disappointing with the motto: "And sometimes I wonder if I'm here, if I'm really here" ("Fool"). The Blur, still a bit Seymour, begin to be Blur and therefore catchy melodies and choruses paired with ultimately dark lyrics, one above all "There's No Other Way", and this is what makes the usual themes less trivial and appeals to the intelligent (ah!). Returning to our youngster, if you succeed in the endeavor (and it’s unlikely he wouldn't be fascinated by a band that shouts before a concert: "We suck so much you might be better off going straight home. This could be the worst concert of your life". I mean Blur are also rock & roll and therefore seductive.) a whole world will open up for him. Maybe by reading that the young Graham Coxon got excited listening to the guitars in "And Your Bird Can Sing" he will start listening seriously to the Beatles; maybe he will discover The Who by watching the favorite film of teenagers Graham and Damon, "Quadrophenia"; but he could also start listening to Rod Stewart fascinated by the cover of "Maggie May" that appears in the "Special Collector's Edition". In short, the paths are truly infinite and unpredictable, but you could contribute with a guiding push and cross your fingers.