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Rating: It's with a scratch that seems to echo the intro of "Beetlebum" (now a classic) that the new album by Graham Coxon, former guitarist of Blur, opens. He has gradually built himself a solo reputation to be reckoned with, decisively stepping away from the memory of the band that made him famous and becoming a "top-tier" name in alternative rock, or rather the never-extinguished front of power pop.
Because in this sixth effort (the second after his lo-fi journey which began in 1998 with "The Sky Is Too High"), Coxon finds a well-defined compositional stability: if in his previous records the bespectacled English musician spanned in a sometimes schizophrenic way from one genre to the other (possibly reminiscent of the same stylistic schizophrenia of past times with Damon Albarn), never has he been able to confidently embrace a decisive shift towards the label of American-style guitar rock as he can now. The first name that comes to mind when listening to the tracks of this interesting work is surely that of Alex Chilton's Big Star (just take two refined guitar pop numbers like "Don't Believe Anything I Say" and "See A Better Day"), especially due to the melodic choices and arrangements. The canvas is of the classic formula "three and a half minutes of distorted guitars on a melody that's catchy and alternative at the same time", so as not to frighten the radio stations while also not turning up the noses of purists (as unfortunately happened in some unhappy episodes in the previous "Happiness In Magazines").
Coxon's loves are all unconsciously paid tribute to in the plots of the 13 songs that form an album as compact as ever: from the more melodic Husker Du (the single "Standing On My Own Again", a number of adolescent punk pop that reached the top 20 in the UK, "I Don't Wanna Go Out" and "You Always Let Me Down"), to the Replacements ("Don't Let Your Man Know", "Tell It Like It Is", "What's He Got"), from Neil Young (the romantic ballad "Flights In The Sea") to the "hit and run" of the Ramones ("Gimme Some Love"), from the early Clash ("I Can't Look At Your Skin") to Pavement's Stephen Malkmus (the quirky and melancholic "Just A State Of Mind") even evoking a vintage Elvis Costello ("You And I", a very probable second single).
A nice album, fun and amused, ideal for those who want to hear a bit of well-played electric guitars and fast and cheekily carefree songs... for a more intimate turn of good old Graham, we can still wait, hoping that sooner or later he will reconsider the dear old Blur.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 I Can't Look at Your Skin (03:35)
You've got a bug in your body
And an itch in your head
Shooting looks down every street
Hoping there's someone to meet, do you care?
You better start making changes
Before they put you away
Shooting looks down every street
Feral kid with no beliefs
Stealing hearts just like a thief
Killing boys with your body
Can't you see in their faces
That you make them so frikkin crazy?
I can't look at your skin
'Cos it's doing me in
Though I've forgot what your name is
You're on the tip of my tongue
And I just refuse to see
You as an atrocity
You better start making changes
Before they put you away
Are you dressing like before?
Is there another boy to score?
Will you take him on the floor?
Will you drown in your sorrow?
Can't you see in their faces
That you make them so frikkin crazy?
I can't look at your skin
'Cos it's doing me in
Can't you see in their faces
That you make them so frikkin crazy?
I can't look at your skin
'Cos it's doing me in
I can't look at your skin
'Cos it's doing me in
I can't look at your skin
'Cos it's doing me in
I can't look at your skin
'Cos it's doing me in
I can't look at your skin
'Cos it's doing me in
I can't look at your skin
'Cos it's doing me in
I can't look at your skin
'Cos it's doing me in
I can't look at your skin
'Cos it's doing me in
I can't look at your skin
'Cos it's doing me in
I can't look at your skin
'Cos it's doing me in
04 Just a State of Mind (04:36)
Emptiness I've found you
How bleak you are
Moving in the shadows
You're here, and it's clear
That it's just a state of mind
Running through the times
Keeping us alive
First time that I saw you
Teeth squeezed my lips
And I thought I'd die without you
But you're here, and it's clear
That it's just a state of mind
Running through the times
Keeping us alive
Just a state of mind
Keeping us in line
Before we take a dive
Just be happy, you are strong now
It's so lonely to love someone
Happiness I've found you
How sweet you are
Smiling in the shadows
You're here, and it's clear
That it's just a state of mind
Running through the times
Keeping us alive
Just a state of mind
Keeping us in line
Before we take a dive
08 Don't Believe Anything I Say (05:26)
I've been lying in the park for ages
I've been staring at the trees
Cold, bright and sunny morning
I've been lying in the park for ages
Getting covered up with leaves
Feeling dirty, sick and tired
Gets me feeling so diseased
Guess I'll get myself up and walk down the street
Oh yeah I really see it now
As clear as mud to me
I just don't believe
Oh yeah I really see it now
I'm just a boy to me
I just don't believe anything I say
Don't believe anything I say
I've been staring at a silver ceiling
Seeing things I don't wanna see
And it kills me every time
How you got away from me
Seems my mind is more a prison now I'm free
Oh yeah I really see it now
As clear as mud to me
I just don't believe
Oh yeah I really see it now
I'm just a boy to me
I just don't believe anything I say
Don't believe anything I say
I'll be thinking 'bout these words forever
Still I'm ending up with me
Why'd I go wasting all your time?
Why did I wanna set you free?
How could I think I'd be happier lonely?
Oh yeah I really see it now
As clear as mud to me
I just don't believe
Oh yeah I really see it now
I'm just a boy to me
I just don't believe anything I say
Don't believe anything I say
I'll be thinking 'bout these words forever (x4)
11 What's He Got? (03:42)
Saw you on the corner by the cash machine
You made the cutest couple that I ever did see
You hug him and you kiss him and I'm hearing what you're saying
Britannia Junction's not the place for me
Britannia Junction's not the place for me
What's he got that I haven't got?
Where's he been that I've never seen?
Can't bear to see you walking hand in hand
He's kinda cool but I don't understand
What in the world has he got?
Guess he's just better looking than me, oh...
Got a brown leather jacket on and tight blue jeans
Wears a pair of black Beatle boots just like me
He's got a lot of hair on his face and on his head
So why'd I get my hair cut so short instead?
So why'd I get my hair cut so short instead?
What's he got that I haven't got?
Where's he been that I've never seen?
Can't stand to see you walking hand in hand
He's kinda cute but I don't understand
What in the world has he got?
Guess he's just better looking than me, oh...
Yeah!
What's he got that I haven't got?
Where's he been that I've never seen?
Can't bear to see you walking hand in hand
He's kinda cool but I don't understand
What in the world has he got?
Guess he's just better looking than me, oh...
What's he got that I haven't got?
Where's he been that I've never seen?
Can't stand to see you walking hand in hand
He's really cool but I don't understand
What in the world has he got?
Guess he's just better looking than me
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