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Rating: We are a bunch of grouches. No one warned Lene Marlin that becoming a world-renowned chart-topping popstar would take her very, very far from her Norway for a long time. And so, amidst concerts, press conferences, and TV appearances, she felt like a lamb in the wolf's den. So, what does she do at that point? She falls into depression. The solutions are numerous: Take a flight to India (Morrissette), strip on TV (Carey), commit suicide (Pantaleone the hardware store owner on Via Gramsci). She opts for a more comfortable clinic but not without having passed through the recording studio.
For those, like me (despite the name), who experience a profound sense of anguish just by watching an entire episode of "Pingu," abstain from listening to this CD. After a four-year absence, probably due to her illness, Lene Marlin returns in 2003 with "Another Day." I admit it: I regarded "Playing My Game" (Her first album) as a solid debut, nice and unpretentious, which is why I approached her second work with some curiosity. It did not go well for me.
The first song starts, from which the album takes its title, and we realize that, in the end, Lene has not changed: still that thin and sweet voice still accompanied by those vaguely nostalgic guitar chords. Okay, I tell myself, the classic fingerprint track to reaffirm her style. Moving on. "Faces" arrives, a very delicate piece that describes the warmth of true human relationships, an exaltation of friendship. It's the turn of "You Weren't There," the first single released, which narrates, relying not only on instrumental music, the sad story of a broken relationship (reason: his disinterest) and is also a good declaration of intentions: to favor the more individual side, to compose songs capable of evoking, through music, the artist's subjective sensations, and to express through the lyrics a personal intimate diary, to move the listener. Unfortunately for her, she does not entirely succeed. And indeed, I find myself reaching the eighth song to recover a bit from the stupor, that is "Fight Against the Hours" and "Story," the ninth and final track that speaks of a missing person (either she jinxes herself, or she is by nature an unlucky soul). The rest gets lost in a whirlwind of acoustic guitars and lyrics that continually hammer the same points: she loves her man madly and will never leave him again (a theme so trite that Federico Moccia even wrote two books about it. Or three? I wouldn't know...) in "From This Day," she's fed up with his lies and lets herself drown in bitterness in "Sorry," she desperately needs him, her only anchor of salvation in "My Love" (Or was it "Fragile" by Mannoia? Who knows...), she loves her man madly and will protect him at all costs (the roles are reversed... truly original...) in "Whatever It Takes."
The record ends, and I do not deny turning off the player while carrying with me a good dose of disappointment. Let it be clear: I am of the opinion that every artist has the full faculty to convey to their listeners every emotion, both negative and positive, and consequently, in my humble opinion, it does not appear to be an exceptionally high-caliber album not because it is devoid of the slightest hint of brightness but simply because it seems to slip away without leaving marks and at times falls into total anonymity.
Totally unlike "Pingu."
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Another Day (04:09)
Lie to me, say that you need me
That's what I wanna hear
That is what, what makes me happy
Hoping you'll be near
All this time, how could I know
Within these walls, I can feel you
Another day goes by, will never know just wonder why
You made me feel good, made me smile
I see it now, and I can say it's gone
That would be a lie
Cannot control this, this thing called love
You must think, how can this be
You don't really know me
I can't tell, this ain't the time
You'll never be mine
What can I say, something 'bout my life
I just lost again
Another day goes by, will never know just wonder why
You made me feel good, made me smile
I see it now, and I can say it's gone
That would be a lie
Cannot control this, this thing called love
Always have to move on,
To leave it all behind
Go along with time
Another day goes by, will never know just wonder why
You made me feel good, made me smile
I see it now, and I can say it's gone
That would be a lie
Cannot control this, this thing called love
02 Faces (03:36)
Pour me some wine, join me tonight
Surround me with your happy faces
Share some fun stories, stay up all night
Sorround me with your friendly faces
Then look at me, when I'm not aware
Then you'll see, I cannot do without you
I'll be right there, if you ask me to
If you're feeling sad, I'll stay with you
And if you're scared, I'll hold your hand
Like I know you'd do for me too, like I know
You'd do for me too
Pour me some wine, join me tonight
Life is so good when I'm with you
I needed the laughs, I needed you tonight
So look at me, when I'm not aware
Then you'll see, I cannot do without you
I'll be right there, if you ask me to
If you're feeling sad, I'll stay with you
And if you're scared, I'll hold your hand
Like I know you'd do for me too.
I'll be right there, if you ask me to
If you're feeling sad, I'll stay with you
And if you're scared, I'll hold your hand
Like I know you'd do for me too.
05 Sorry (03:53)
Do you wanna know, what I think of you
Do you wanna know
Do you wanna know, if I'm doing OK
Just ask and I'll say
I'll say the words that I've longed to speak
Have kept quiet for some time
I'm sorry, it's just too late
To get it all back, get back what we had
I'm sorry, it's just not right
We both know it wasn't meant to be like
This at all
Do you wanna know, how I feel about you
Do you wanna know,
Do you wanna know, if I'm able to forget
There are times, I wish we'd never met
I'm sorry, it's just too late
To get it all back, get back what we had
I'm sorry, it's just not right
We both know it wasn't meant to be like
This at all
Time won't change this,
change the way I feel
06 My Love (04:32)
Please, come and find me, my love
I'm ready now, to come home
Please, come and find me, my love
Let's leave this place, let's leave no trace
Can you hear me, my love, I'm shouting in the wind,
Can you hear me
Can you see me, my love, I'm drawing in the sand,
Can you see me
I hope that I'm still with you, as you are with me
You always will be
Please, come and find me, my love
I'm ready now, to come home
Please, come and find me, my love
Let's leave this place, let's leave no trace
Can you feel me, my love, I'm hurting so bad
Can you feel it
Can tell you about my thoughts, I wish that
You were here
Do you know it
The time that I've had, don't need anymore
You're the one I wait for
Please, come and find me, my love
I'm ready now, to come home
Please, come and find me, my love
Let's leave this place, let's leave no trace
Please, come and find me, my love
I'm ready now, to come home
Please, come and find me, my love
07 Whatever It Takes (03:46)
Tell me I'm wrong
You see, I've heard this thing about you
Some sad stories about you
I look at you know
As always, you're keeping a straight face
Acting like, like you truly love this place
(but) you see, I'm told that the place that you long for
Is where the shadows won't dance on your walls anymore
Where the nightmares will leave you alone
I'll keep the lights out, I'll tell you fairy tales
Whatever it takes to make you feel safe
I promise you now, they will disappear
I'll take you back home, they won't find you there
Tell me I'm wrong
You see, I've heard this thing about you
Some sad stories about you
Please, understand
I need you to tell me the truth now
No more hiding or lies now
I'll keep the lights out, I'll tell you fairy tales
Whatever it takes to make you feel safe
I promise you now, they will disappear
I'll take you back home, they won't find you there
I'll keep the lights out, I'll tell you fairy tales
Whatever it takes to make you feel safe
I promise you now, they will disappear
I'll take you back home, they won't find you there
09 Disguise (03:51)
Have you ever felt some kind of emptiness inside
You will never measure up, to those people you
Must be strong, can't show them that you're weak
Have you ever told someone something
That's far from the truth
Let them know that you're okay
Just to make them stop
All the wondering, and questions they may have
I'm okay, I really am now
Just needed some time, to figure things out
Not telling lies, I'll be honest with you
Still we don't know what's yet to come
Have you ever seen your face,
In a mirror there's a smile
But inside you're just a mess,
You feel far from good
Need to hide, 'cos they'd never understand
Have you ever had this wish, of being
Somewhere else
To let go of your disguise, all your worries too
And from that moment, then you see things clear
I'm okay, I really am now
Just needed some time, to figure things out
Not telling lies, I'll be honest with you
Still we don't know what's yet to come
Are you waiting for the day
When your pain will disappear
When you know that it's not true
What they say about you
You could not care less about the things
Surrounding you
Ignoring all the voices from the walls
I'm okay, I really am now
Just needed some time, to figure things out
Not telling lies, I'll be honest with you
Still we don't know what's yet to come
I'm okay, I really am now
Just needed some time, to figure things out
Not telling lies, I'll be honest with you
Still we don't know what's yet to come
Still we don't know what's yet to come
Still we don't know what's yet to come
10 Story (05:31)
I heard about your story from a friend
To let go and make an end
That's what you did
You left some words saying now it would be good
You knew they'd cry but you hoped they understood
Things you've had to face, what you have seen
To make it through each day you tried
Without the tears
They tried to help but they didn't see you crawl
They knew you fought but they never thought you'd fall
Never thought you'd fall
Tell them please, how could they know
Hurts inside, no scars to show
You played the lead and never once you failed
And the place from where you watch us now
Hope you've found your peace somehow
I heard about your story through the years
Know 'bout all your hurt and fears
I won't forget
I wrote a song that i wish for you to hear
It's about yourself and the life you couldn't bear
I wanna remember all there's about you
And I know there's so much
I see all the faces
The tears and embraces
Wish you could be here to see it too
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Other reviews
By lovi
Lene Marlin exposes herself in her simplicity, with the sole intent of moving you through her small words, the little guitars, and the soft voice, which make her seem small, but very, very... real!
Thanks to her introspective and intimate songs, I go beyond just sound and understand every little nuance of her voice, every little impulse that makes Lene less alluring, more sweet, almost a friend...
By The_dull_flame
Lene will do nothing but enchant with her grace, her fairy-like voice, and her guitar plucked with such care, as if she were plucking you.
Another Day is a beautiful, sparse album that hurts, penetrates the skin like a needle, and leaves no escape.
