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"Pushing The Senses" is the fifth studio album by Feeder.
The Welsh frontman Grant Nicholas considers this work the sequel, not only factual but also ideal, of the previous (and beautiful) "Comfort In Sound". Consistency on a musical and lyrical level, therefore, is the watchword for this new full-length.
The producers chosen to assemble the album are three; Grant himself, the in-demand Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters), and Ken Nelson (Coldplay), the latter being involved only in the splendid piano ballad "Frequency".
It is nevertheless the album of Feeder's definitive consecration, with a nice number two on the U.K. chart and a good number eleven on the general European chart during the release week, in addition to some support dates during U2's "Vertigo Tour" and the achievement of headliner status at the "Download" Festival.
A claim nevertheless deserved, it must be said: there is certainly no shortage of exciting melodic ups and downs, now a trademark of Feeder, at least in the second part of their decade-long career. Just think of the splendid opener "Feeling A Moment", an electric ballad of dazzling beauty released as a (fortunate) second single, or a gem like "Tumble And Fall", which anticipated the album's release (Fran Healy of Travis is a welcome presence on backing vocals). The most intense and emotional songs reach considerable emotional heights in this work; Grant's voice, unlike the early works, is delicate and gentle, and it embellishes great melodic glimpses like the Lennon-esque "Tender", the evocative "Pain On Pain" and "Dove Gray Sands" (placed at the end), in addition to the expansive "Morning Life", the latter perhaps the best track of the work. To not worry the longtime fans, abrasive and sharp guitars are not lacking, abundantly present in "Bitter Glass" (explicitly inspired by Talking Heads) and "Pilgrim Soul", the latter incredibly powerful and scathing. Paradoxically, the title track perhaps appears as the weakest episode of the album, even though it maintains particularly rock-oriented coordinates.
It must be said that the lyrics considerably enrich the great work done on the melodies: joy certainly does not reign ("How do you feel when there's no sun /How do you feel when rain drops come pouring down again /How do you feel when there's no one? /Am I just like you?", from "Feeling A Moment"), and clearly, the holidays in Majorca of "Seven Days In The Sun" are a very distant memory, but the expressive incisiveness of every single piece is truly admirable.
An undoubtedly non-experimental and innovative work, nor carefree and summery, but indisputably exciting and complete in its every aspect. An album that confirms Feeder's class in building melodies of uncommon beauty and that rightfully nominates them to enter the European pop-rock elite.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
02 Bitter Glass (04:34)
The thought of never knowing
Would kill me just the same
A solitary blossom
Reminders of a friend
What are you saying
You've got nothing to live for
You're tired and you're broken
You just can't free yourself
And all the words we've spoken
And buried in the sand
The raptured and the broken
That taste of bitter glass
What are you saying
You've got nothing to live for
You're tired and you're broken
You just can't free yourself
What are you saying
It's just the thought of rejection
It's pulling you deeper
You just can't free yourself
Your voluntary loving
Apologies have passed
And come around again
The fragments of a reason
The taste of bitter glass
So what are you saying
You've got nothing to live for
You're tired and you're broken
You just can't free yourself
What are you saying
It's just a part of rejection
It's pulling you deeper
You just can't be yourself
03 Tumble and Fall (04:19)
All this for nothing
Yeah yeah yeah
Praying and hoping, fooling yourself ...
You know that you can
Give love a reason
Give love a chance
We tumble and fall
Together we crawl
Forever will be
Tumble and fall
Heaven's above us
Yeah yeah yeah
Living in solice, I'd give you it all ...
Just for a day, just for a second
Just for the way ...
We tumble and fall
Together we crawl
Forever will be
Tumble and fall
Life's not the same
Since that day you went away
I recall, like the drops of summer rain
That fell on me
Come back to me
Come back to me
Yeah yeah yeah (x3)
We tumble and fall
Together we crawl
Forever will be
Tumble and fall
Together we crawl
Forever will be
Tumble and fall
Yeah yeah yeah (x6)
04 Tender (04:14)
Ache, can't watch you break and shatter
Saved, new lives to make us better
I'm letting you know, cleansing my soul
Been letting you know, for days ...
Turn over everything
Time can heal us again
I'm tender in your arms
Reaching inside of me
Bringing the love I need
The loneliness has gone
Faith, new roads to take together
Days, lying awake, remember
I'm letting you know, cleansing my soul
Been letting you know, for days ...
Turn over everything
Time can heal us again
I'm tender in your arms
Reaching inside of me
Bringing the love I need
The loneliness has gone
I'm letting you know, cleansing my soul
Been letting you know, for days ...
Turn over everything
Time can heal us again
I'm tender in your arms
Reaching inside of me
Bringing the love I need
The loneliness has gone ...
The loneliness has gone
05 Pushing the Senses (03:27)
Feelings you never knew
Pulling you under now
Your fighting the undertow
Before it sucks you down
Pushing the senses
It's pushing the senses now
Come on come on what are you going to do
You can't find another day
Come on come on you're pushing the senses
You're pushing the senses through ...
Always, I can depend on you
But sometimes, it's burning a hole right through
Let's talk about it ...
Staring at photographs
Posted on the wall
Images smiling down
The face of a lonely soul
Come on come on, what are you going to do
You can't find another day
Come on come on you're pushing the senses
You're pushing the senses through ...
Always 'cause I can depend on you
But sometimes, I'm finding it hard to choose
Let's talk about it ...
Always I can depend on you
Sometimes, It's burning a hole right through
Let's talk about it ... (x2)
Always, I can depend on you
But sometimes, sometimes ...
Always, I can depend on you
But sometimes, It's burning a hole right through
Let's talk about it ...
Always, I can depend on you
But sometimes, It's burning a hole right through
Keep pushing the senses through
Let's talk about us ...
06 Frequency (03:09)
Come on in, I hear your voice
Change the frequency, and make that choice
Constitution, find new ground
You've got to know
I think about you every day
You're lying awake on top of silver clouds
Sending Love back down
It's real love (x3)
Can't you feel it? Can't you breathe it in?
Come on in, I hear you sing
Born together, different skin
Superstition, prophecy
You've gotta know
I think about you every day
You're lying awake on top of silver clouds
You're sending love back down
It's real love (x3)
Can't you feel it? Can't you breathe it in?
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