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Rating: The most famous scruffy beards of American alternative rock are back, and they do so with an excellent mix of deep distortions, delicate dreamlike melodies, and screams of computers tortured to death by a low fidelity more cynical than ever.
Truly a great sonic spectacle.
When in 2000 someone dared to describe "The Sophtware Slump" as the true sequel to "Ok Computer", many turned up their noses. I didn't express an opinion, standing there with my mouth open in front of the beauty of a single (not exactly radio-friendly) like "He's Simple He's Dumb He's The Pilot". Today, in hindsight, one must recognize the journalist who wrote those few but weighty words as having a certain kernel of truth. Currently, indeed, Grandaddy probably represents what Thom Yorke and company "would have been" after 1997 if only they had decided to continue on a more "earthly" sonic path, not venturing into the more experimental pathway of electronics. Thus, after the cleaner, more accessible, and slightly monotonous pop of "Sumday," which hinted at a slight decline in form, the Californian "grandaddies" return to the enigmatic, robotic, romantic, and fascinating atmospheres of their early millennium concept.
"Excerpts From The Diary Of Todd Zilla" is an EP composed of seven tracks and anticipates the release of an album (likely in 2006) that, as things stand, will depart from the excellent "sound premises" contained in this production signed by V2 Records.
"Pull The Curtains," the track that opens the record, is a striking song and best reflects the global characteristics of the work, which turns out to be among the best produced in the entire discography of the Modesto band: distorted and simple riffs, in full grunge style, hints of captivating electronics, and quasi-idiotic noises. 70% Nirvana, 20% New Order, 10% 1980s video games (damn Pacman! You owe me a mountain of 200-lire coins!!!). The melodies of the "battered pianos" at the edge of absurdity and mental dissonance that characterized a critically acclaimed album like "Under The Western Freeway" have taken a qualitative leap and support the weight of an entire track. In fact, thanks to a dreamy piano, excellent minimalist Beatles-style songs ("F**k The Valley Fudge") emerge, surrounded as always by not easily identifiable otherworldly background noises. From the low-quality recording of some tracks shines through the often-declared love for bands like Pavement and Pixies: "Florida" has in its distortions all the sonic drunkenness of a party ending in a brawl (never before had Jason Lytle screamed so much in a track) and in the melody preceding the chorus all the carefree joy of a sunny Sunday in the countryside. The acoustic guitars that close Todd Zilla's diary leave a dream in the head and a bitter taste in the mouth: it's impossible to be satisfied with just seven excerpts if the entire "book" could probably be even more fascinating.
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Pull the Curtains (02:59)
Pull the curtains on the day
(aaaaaaaaaaaaaah)
Sometimes it is the only way
(aaaaaaaaaaaaaah)
Pull the curtains on the day
Sometimes it is the only way
Pull the curtains on the night
Sometimes it isn't worth the fight
Sometimes you gotta turn it off
Man, you gotta walk away
And then sometimes you gotta say
"This is gonna be the day"
Sometimes you gotta turn it off
Yeah, you gotta walk away
And then sometimes you gotta say:
"There ain't no other fuckin' way"
Sometimes you gotta turn it off
Man, you gotta walk away
And then sometimes you gotta say:
"This is gonna be the day"
Sometimes you gotta turn it off
Yeah, you gotta walk away
And then sometimes you gotta say:
"There ain't no other fuckin' way"
Pull the curtains on the day
(aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah)
Sometimes it is the only way
(aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah)
(the way, the way, the way, the way)
Well pull the curtains on the night
Sometimes it isn't worth the fight
Just to feel alright
Just to feel alright
Just to feel alright
Just to feel alright
Just to feel ALRIGHT!
02 At My Post (06:08)
Branches waving madly in the air
Waving 'round like they don't even care
Last time i considered leaving here
The roads caught fire and I drank all our beer
Out here at my post I've learned a lot
I've learned that the fruit on the ground is gonna rot
There's more ATM's with air conditioning then there are birds on the wing
Out here at my post I've learned a few things
Like the sun ain't afraid to bleach out a dream
And the way that you were ain't the way that you will always be
Please believe me
Branches wave and ask for change to spare
Once I did, but now I barely care
Last time I considered leavin' town
Something dumb came up and I turned around
Out here at my post I've learned a lot
I've learned that the fruit on the ground is gonna rot
There's more ATM's with air conditioning then there are birds on the wing
Out here at my post I've learned a few things
Like the sun ain't afraid to bleach out a dream
And the way that you were ain't the way that you will always be
Please believe me
Out here at my post
06 Florida (04:37)
Good afternoon from the bar in the mall
They sent me home from work today
But nobody told me where else to go
My boss was alright at first
But then he said that I fall behind
I like doing things my own way
And I don't take no shit from anyone
Florida
Florida
My ex-girlfriend's a model in florida
Florida
Florida
I got lots of friends in florida
Well, I got pride and it doesn't hide now
I could live at the river, fuck you
My ex-girlfriend's a model in florida
She wants me back but I don't take no shit
It's later on, once again at the bar
I picked this bad company song
And I can play it pretty good on the guitar
I feel like makin' love
Looks like I missed the god-dam bus
Do you think that I could get a ride?
I like doing things my own way
And I don't take no shit from anyone
Florida
Florida
My ex-girlfriend's a model in florida
Florida
Florida
They got lots to drink in Florida
Well, I got pride and it doesn't hide now
I could live at the river, fuck you
My ex-girlfriend's a model in florida
She wants me back but I don't take no shit
Take no shit
07 Goodbye? (05:41)
Just how
How many times
How many times have I sat right here and seen that skyline at twilight
And told myself I'm gonna be alright
But at the last light after saying goodbye
You can't rest at night inside your head
Yeah at that last light after sayin'goodbye
It's such a sad sight cause of what we said
(Ahh, oh)
[Whistling]
Now just how
How many times
How many times have I sat right here
And again that skyline
And again that twilight
And again tell myself i'm gonna be alright
But at that last light after saying goodbye
You can't rest at night inside your head
yeah at that last light after sayin' goodbye
It's such a sad sight cause of what we said
(Ahh)
Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye
Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye
Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye
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