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Rating: How wonderful it is to meet New Wave again twenty years later and find it with the same freshness and strength as back then. How wonderful it is to hear it today perfected in modern sounds and atmospheres, yet always tightly connected to those of the past.
After the celebration of Interpol, the greatest in the genre, here are new and worthy offspring of the great family of new wavers to which I also belong: the Editors (and not The Editors). These guys have learned the post-punk lesson very well and know exactly what kind of music they want to make and who they want to resemble. It only takes three seconds and it immediately feels like hearing Psychedelic Furs, Joy Division, and many others up to the early Cure and U2. Those who love to play "Memory" will have fun finding thousands of similarities, quotes, or references; I'll leave that to you.
The album is titled "The Back Room" and consists of 11 tracks; I specify this because there seems to be an alternative special edition with five additional pieces which may or may not be available in Italy—there are conflicting reports about it.
The album opens with a sensational trio "Lights", "Munich", and "Blood" that immediately set the tone for what goes on in this "Back Room", songs in perfect New Wave style, tight and frantic rhythms, jittery guitars, deep voice, and powerful bass. It feels like being suddenly projected back to high school days. At the fourth track, things slow down, "Fall" is a splendid and melancholic ballad, dark and desperate as I like it, with a powerful and chaotic crescendo finale that makes you want to smash the guitar.
Following are "All Sparks" and "Camera", two simple and nice tracks, properly arranged and executed, but honestly not exceptional.
A completely different story is "Fingers In The Factories", probably the best track on the album and maybe one of the best of the entire "New Wave" of the 2000s, a splendid dark and melancholic thunderstorm with an engaging verse and a powerful, obsessive, and hysterical chorus that makes you jump to your feet. A song to scream during concerts and engage in moshing.
In the same vein is the next track, "Bullets", with a gloomy and distorted bass line, worn-out voice, and blaring guitars, the same obsession and hysteria, and again intense moshing. But there's an aspect that chills me a little: here it really feels like imitating Interpol. Besides that, it's a great song.
The ninth piece "Someone Says" takes us to the times of "Boy" by U2, the guitar seems taken from recordings stolen from The Edge's drawer twenty years ago, something between "I Will Follow" and "The Electric Co.", quite evocative, I must say.
We are nearing the end of the journey and encounter the second ballad of the CD, "Open Your Arms", soft, slow, and melancholic as per custom but slightly more airy than the first.
It closes with an odd track, the eleventh, "Distance", which starts like a Depeche Mode piece but then quickly retraces its steps and guitars and vocals take over. A good track to conclude, very slow and melodic, a sort of Lullaby in New Wave version.
If you wanted to try to find the special edition, I'll warn you that the five tracks neither add nor subtract to the overall value of the album except in the case of the beautiful "Crawl Down The Wall". Also worth mentioning is "Colour".
In short, a nice, enjoyable album for enthusiasts of the genre.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Lights (02:31)
I still love the light oh baby
Keeps me awake but I don't mind
Everything I always wanted
Is right there but soon it won't be
If fortune favors the brave
I am as awful as they come
I got a million things to say
I got a million things to
I still love the light oh baby
Keeps me awake but I don't mind
Everything I always wanted
Is right there but soon it won't be
If fortune favors the brave
I am as awful as they come
I got a million things to say
I got a million things to
I still love the light oh baby
I still love the light oh baby
I still love the light oh baby
I still love the light oh baby
If fortune favors the brave
I am as awful as they come
I got a million things to say
I got a million things to
A million things to say
A million things to say
02 Munich (03:46)
I'm so glad I found this
I"m so glad I did
I'm so glad I found this
I'm so glad I did
People are fragile things
You should know by now
Be careful what you put them through
People are fragile things
You should know by now
You'll speak when you're spoken to
It breaks when you don't force it
It breaks when you don't try
It breaks if you don't force it
It breaks if you don't try
People are fragile things
You should know by now
Be careful what you put them through
People are fragile things
You should know by now
You'll speak when you're spoken to
With one hand you calm me
With one hand I'm still
With one hand you calm me
With one hand I'm still
People are fragile things
You should know by now
Be careful what you put them through
People are frgile things
You should know by now
You'll speak when you're spoken to
[Vocalisation]
You'll speak when you're spoken to
You'll speak when you're spoken to
He'll speak when he's spoken to
She'll speak when she's spoken to
03 Blood (03:27)
This wicked city
just drags you down
You're with the red lights,
your side of town
Don't say it's easy
to follow a process
There's nothing harder
than keeping a promise
Blood runs through your veins,
that's where our similarity ends
Blood runs through our veins
Blood runs through your veins,
that's where our similarity ends
Blood runs through our veins
There's nothing believable
in being honest
So cover your lies up
with another promise
Blood runs through your veins,
that's where our similarity ends
Blood runs through our veins
Aaaaahhhhhhh
Blood runs through your veins,
that's where our similarity ends
Blood runs through our veins
Blood runs through your veins,
that's where our similarity ends
Blood runs through our veins
Aaaaahhhhhhh
If there's hope in your heart
It would flow to every part
If there's hope in your heart
04 Fall (05:05)
With my eyes closed
I look closer
I'll aways
Remember
Juggernots
screaming to a stop
Sound like devils
oh laughing
I wanted to see
I wanted to see
I wanted to see this for myself
I wanted to see
I wanted to see
I wanted to see this for myself
These dark paths
We drink here
Somehow lie down
I'm with you
I wanted to see
I wanted to see
I wanted to see this for myself
I wanted to see
I wanted to see
I wanted to see this for myself
I wanted to see
I wanted to see
I wanted to see this for myself
I wanted to see
I wanted to see
I wanted to see this for myself
For myself...
For myself...
For myself...
self...
self...
05 All Sparks (03:32)
You're answering questions
That have not yet been asked
All sparks will burn out in the end
You burn like you're bouncing
Cigarettes on the road
All sparks will burn out in the end
All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
In the end
You're casting opinions
At people who need them
All sparks will burn out in the end
Well, be careful angel
This life is just too long
All sparks will burn out in the end
All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
In the end
You burn like a bouncing cigarette
All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
In the end
06 Camera (05:01)
Be close to me now
I'll be your guide
Once we have black hearts
Then love dies
Look at us
Through the lens of a camera
Does it remove
All of our pain?
If we run
To look in the back room
Where we hide
All of our feelings
I just close my eyes as you walk out
I'll keep your eyes wide open tonight
Keep the car on the road now
Feel the fight
Look at us
Through the lens of a camera
Does it remove
All of our pain?
If we run
To look in the back room
Where we hide
All of our feelings
I just close my eyes as you walk out
You fall from grace
The fall with such grace
You fall from grace
The fall with such grace
You fall from grace
The fall with such grace
You fall from grace
The fall with such grace
Look at us
Through the lens of a camera
Does it remove
All of our pain?
If we run
To look in the back room
Where we hide
All of our secrets
I just close my eyes as you walk
I just close my eyes as you walk
I just close my eyes as you walk
I just close my eyes as you walk
I just close my eyes as you walk
I just close my eyes as you walk out
07 Fingers in the Factories (04:14)
Easy said and easy done
Is how we like this
Keep us in our place
Youre the night
The dirty night
That keeps us going
Nothing left to waste
Pull a sentance from your lips
to keep them quiet
what they want to hear
You're the night
The dirty night
That keeps us going
no one left to fear
As the sun goes down
On a broken down
And the fingers bleed
In the factories
Come on out tonight
Come and see the sight
Of the ones you love
And the ones in love
When you
Keep with me
Keep with me
Keep with me
Keep with me
Smile for once for a moment
It makes us happy
What we need is here
You're the night
The dirty night
You make us angry
theres everything to fear
As the sun goes down
On a broken down
And the fingers bleed
In the factories
Come on out tonight
Come and see the sight
Of the ones you love
And the ones in love
When you
Keep with me
Keep with me
Keep with me
Keep with me
As the sun goes down
On a broken down
And the fingers bleed
In the factories
Come on out tonight
Come and see the sight
Of the ones you love
And the ones in love
When you
Keep with me
Keep with me
Keep with me
Keep with me
Keep with me
Keep with me
Keep with me
Keep with me
08 Bullets (03:09)
If something has to change
Then it always does
If something has to change
then it always does
You don't need this disease
Not right now
No you don't need this disease
Not right now
Oh you don't need this this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
If something has to give
Then it always will
If something has to give
Then it always will
You don't need this disease
Not right now
No you don't need this disease
Not right now
no no not right now
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't
Would you fall down
Would you fall down
Oh you don't need this this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You don't you don't need this disease
You
Won't
Fall
Down
You don't need this this disease
you don't you don't need this disease
you don't you don't need this disease
you don't you don't need this disease
you don't you don't need this disease
you don't you don't need this disease
you don't you don't need this disease
you don't you don't need this disease
you don't you don't need this disease
You don't.
09 Someone Says (03:11)
Someone said they saw you
In the night and on your own
There's beauty in the lonely
You're the moonlight in this town
Seems like every moment
Is another from before
Your eyes have nothing behind them
Your arms and legs are sore
Neighbour
You've fallen in with the wrong crowd
I've got so much to tell you
In so little time
Oh neighbour
Keep things close to your heart
If no one can help you
Then how can I?
Someone said they saw you
Said they saw it as a sign
Well every single second
Catches up the next in line
Neighbour
You've fallen in with the wrong crowd
I've got so much to tell you
In so little time
Oh neighbour
Keep things close to your heart
If no one can help you
Then how can I?
Neighbour
You've fallen in with the wrong crowd
I've got so much to tell you
In so little time
Oh neighbour
Keep things close to your heart
If no one can help you
Then how can I?
Someone said they saw you
Someone said they saw you
Someone said they saw you
Someone said they saw you
10 Open Your Arms (06:00)
Look up look up look up there
It's a long way down
Look up look up look up now
It's a long way down
You fail, you fail to see now
What you need the most
Making a meal of me now
You're the perfect host
This lot
This lot
Has messed you around
Well this lot
This lot
Has messed you around
Open your arms and welcome
People to your town
Look up look up look up now
It's a long way down
This lot
This lot
Has messed you around
Well this lot
This lot
Has messed you around
This lot
This lot
Has messed you around
Well this lot
This lot
Has messed you around
Open your arms and welcome
Open your arms and welcome
Open your arms and welcome
Open your arms and welcome
Open your arms and welcome
Open your arms and welcome
Open your arms and welcome
Open your arms and welcome
Open your arms and welcome
People to your town
Open your arms and welcome
People to your town
[vocalization]
11 Distance (03:38)
Distance
I'll keep my distance
These things I never seem to mean
So I leave the murder scene
Honey
What God broke here
Won't go back together again
So I'll leave this while I can
He...
He... (very long and drawn out)
He...
He...
Nothing
to be scared of
my dreams, they keep a hold of me
my guides when I can't see
Cold
I will be thin
I'm sure your passing the test
I wish you all the best
He...
He...
He...
He...
He...
He...
He...
He...
He...
He...
He...
He...
13 You Are Fading (04:28)
I'll lose this I always have,
I'll always let you down
I'll lose this I always have,
I'll always let you down
Make your way up to the stars,
It's there where you belong
I'll lose this I always have,
I'll always let you down.
Waiting, you are
Fading, you are
Slowly drift off to sleep
Waiting, you are
Fading, you are
Slowly drift off to sleep
Waiting, you are
Fading, you are
Slowly drift off to sleep
15 Colours (03:50)
You mean a lot to me
You've got a heart of gold
Everything falls apart
Leaves you in the cold
Purpose is scaring me
What if I can't see mine
Love on the filthy streets is so divine
You are the colour my dear
You are the colour my dear
You mean a lot to me
You've got a heart of gold
Once I have found the words
I'll loosen my hold
You are the colour my dear
You are the colour my dear
You are the colour my dear
You are the colour my dear
Fill your life with something else baby
Fill your life with something else baby
Fill your life with something else baby
Fill your life with something else baby
Fill your life with something else baby
Fill your life with something else baby
Fill your life with something else baby
Fill your life with something else baby
16 Release (05:42)
The city is not that far
Made from the sun you are
Oh what a star you are
The city is not that far, that far, that far
Life in black and white
My lord what a perfect sight
I'll lose this, I always do
I'll lose this, I always do
Release find your peace my love
Release find your peace my love
Release find your peace my love
Release find your peace my love
Release find your peace my love
Release find your peace my love
Release find your peace my love, my love, my love
Life in black and white
My lord what a perfect sight
Made from the sun you are
Oh what a star you are
Release find your peace my love
Release find your peace my love
Release find your peace my love
Release find your peace my love
Release find your peace my love
Release find your peace my love
Release find your peace my love
Release find your peace my love
Release find your peace my love
Release find your peace my love
Release find your peace my love
Release find your peace my love
Release find your peace my love
Release find your peace my love
Release find your peace my love, my love, my love
The city, the city, the city, the city
17 Forest Fire (03:00)
Take me home, somewhere safe
Lean on me, saving grace
Such a light, where you are
Something new, forest fire
I'll miss this when it's gone
Let's not waste life, come on
I'll miss this when it's gone
Let's not waste life
Come on, come on
We all sit next to the fire, we watch you burn
Oh we all sit next to the fire and watch you burn
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