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Rating: "Being on the beach and being reached by the waves raised by the strong wind."
This is the effect that the Menomena provoked in me when listening to their third work, which, at the moment, I find to be among the most interesting things released this year.
Recorded for the indie label Barsuk, the band from Portland is composed of three members, all multi-instrumentalists and singers, thus exponentially increasing their sound impact (they sound like there are nine of them), among which the bass and percussion stand out for their importance and continuity.
I find that Menomena are the classic example of a band with an absolutely modern, ingenious, and varied alternative pop/rock sound. They are difficult to describe, but perhaps it would be enough to just look at the cover and the artwork designed by the artist Craig Thompson. The tracks of "Amici e Nemici" follow each other very differently and grow imperiously with the listens, creating their universe of certainly unconventional, complex, and visionary compositions:
"The Pelican" and "Weird" are sung with a voice that couldn't be more soulful, and they would have been highlight tracks of "Desperate Youth…" by TV On The Radio. The ingenious "Wet And Rusting" is a collection of sound bursts led by frantic drums. The rhythm and choruses of "Air Aid" are marked by engaging handclaps and sax hits. The lightness of "Rotten Hell" is the simple example of how the Beatles would write a song today. The religious organ of "My My", which introduces and accompanies us in one of the most thunderous moments of the album. The duet between piano and drums in "Running". The sense of epic ness that pervades "Evil Bee", with a sweet piano still accompanied by hints of sax and a bass so funky that it's impossible to stay still. The splendid military march of "Boyskout'n", designed for troops of soldiers with blank rifles. The claustrophobic voices and the sweet implosion of the concluding "West".
Friend And Foe is a beautiful rainbow that convinced me in a short time, a record as hypnotic as it is sunny and fun, just right for the coming season.
Regards, Addison.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Muscle'n Flo (04:22)
Oh in the morning,
I stumble, my way towards, the mirror
and my makeup, its light out, and I now,
face just what I'm made of.
There's so much more left to do,
but I'm not young,
but I'm not through.
Oh in the evening,
I stumble, my way towards, another
daily struggle, its dark out, its time now,
that I pick up my hustle.
Make a coal, make some ash,
make your morgue, make it last.
Tiny scores, tiny rooms.
Lofty goals met too soon,
too soon.
And here I stand a broken mess,
if I could I would raise my hands.
I come before you humbly,
if I could I'd be on my knees.
Come and lay down your head upon my chest,
feel my heart beat, feel my unrest.
If Jesus could only wash my feet,
then I'd get up strong, and muscle on.
Oh in the morning,
I stumble my way towards the mirror
and my makeup, its light out, and I now,
face just what I'm made of.
Theres so much more left to do,
well I'm not young, but I'm not through.
Tiny scores, tiny rooms,
lofty goals met too soon,
too soon.
02 The Pelican (03:39)
Take it,
When I'm not looking.
Take it from my hook while it's still kicking.
Don't you feel it, when i start reeling?
I guess some things never change,
And I still hold the reins on what you're feeling.
What you're feeling.
Take it,
When I'm enjoying.
Take it from my mouth while I'm still chewing.
Don't you feel it when I start pulling?
I guess some birds never learn,
One day these tides will turn and leave you nothing.
Leave you nothing.
We're poised to lock our
Horns up in some
Epic clash that
We can't finish.
On our own we'll
Have to settle,
Swallow pride and
Hold our heads up high.
Stake it,
When you feel threatened.
Stake your claim on lands already taken.
Don't you feel it, when I start throwing stones
I guess some birds never learn,
One day these tides will turn and leave you nothing.
Oooh.
Leave you nothing.
Take it.
03 Wet & Rusting (03:33)
I made you a present,
You'll never expect it.
And when you unravel,
The secret, we'll travel home.
It's hard to take risks
With a pessimist.
I hope that this shakin',
will help us awaken.
Sep'rated by skin 'till,
we let our selves in, and.
Its hard to take risks,
With a pessimist.
Its hard to take risks.
I hope what will bring me.
This is the closest I'll come to,
I know you'll desert me.
touching you the way i want.
Its hard to take risks.
No one can be able,
With a pessimist.
I'll try to be faithful.
Its hard to take risks.
No one can be able,
With a pessimist.
I'll try to be faithful.
Its hard to take risks.
No one can be able,
This is the closest I'll come to,
With a pessimist.
I'll try to be faithful.
Touching you...
04 Air Aid (04:44)
People of the future will remember
Her fate is something she brought upon herself
Writes a suicide note into the movie
"I love you all too much to carry on"
Everyone will think back to what they were wearing
Or who they were dating when the bones were found
People of the future won't remember names
But there'll be trail smells the same (?)
Rain is falling through the floor
Rain is coming rain is coming
Rain is falling through the floor
Cover your ears, cover your eyes, cover your mouth
Silence, blindness tasteless violence
Air aid
Bring me the kite tied to the key, covered in fire
Downpour, thunder laced with lightning
Air aid
People of the future
Take it back
(I can't understand most of this whole part)
Cover your ears, cover your eyes, cover your mouth
Silence, blindness tasteless violence
Air aid
Bring me the kite tied to the key, covered in fire
Downpour, thunder laced with lightning
Air aid
Brought upon herself
Cover your ears, cover your eyes, cover your mouth
Silence, blindness tasteless violence
Air aid
Cover your eyes
Brought upon herself
Cover your eyes
05 Weird (03:05)
say it again, say it again
i know you love to hear yourself speak
words that you think
i can't follow
maybe that's the way you and i will always relate
you always had the quickest wit
the quickest quips and i can't keep up
It's clear that you have a rare gift of gab
and i'm just jealous
maybe that's the way you and i will always relate
but i won't let how i sincerely feel, dear, stand in my way
'cause there's no love lost that i can't find again, my dear friend
you always said that we're friends
but that must depend which way the wind blows
It's clear that you have
you're own set of plans, and i just follow
maybe that's the way you and i will always relate
so i won't let how i sincerely feel, here, stand in my way
'cause there's no love lost that i can't find again, my dear friend
06 Rotten Hell (04:18)
I've got a stranglehold on this decision
All those opposed can rot in hell
Any day now the words will form a sentence
You'll be reduced to nothingness
I've got a stranglehold on this decision
All those opposed can rot in hell
Any day now the words will form a sentence
You'll be reduced to nothingness
Wading through this mess together
hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder
Some may stumble, some may fall behind
Well it's high time we stepped outside
drop the gloves and settle this like a man
Well we might stomp and hem and haw
we might not fight but we won't walk away
no we won't walk away
Wading through this mess together
hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder
Some may stumble, some may fall behind
07 Running (01:52)
it's safe to say i'm walking a lot
it's safe to say i'm thinner
it's safe to say if we don't find food soon
we won't make it through winter
i'm walking, i'm running, i'm picking up steam
i'm threatening to explode
i'm going to make it, we're going to make it
before the cows come home
before the cows come home
before the cows come home
it's safe to say i'm walking a lot
it's safe to say i'm thinner
it's safe to say if we don't find food soon
we won't make it through winter
10 Evil Bee (04:45)
I took a walk with an invisible friend
And on that walk, I gave my hand
O, to be a machine
O, to be wanted
to be useful
With this right that I wear today
My whole world is your property
O, to be a machine
O, to be wanted
to be useful
I took a walk with an invisible friend
And on that walk, I gave my hand
11 Ghostship (02:28)
Majesty
Her majesty sails across the sea
And there’s a new theory for each passing week
For each covered up case of doublespeak
And I’ve got a feeling we are counting sheep
We’re in over our heads
This analogy
Only fits when I bow and call you
Majesty
Her majesty sails across the sea
And there’s a new theory for each passing week
For each covered up case of doublespeak
And I’ve got a feeling we are counting sheep
We’re in over our heads
This analogy
Only fits when I bow and call you
12 West (05:51)
Face down in the chemistry of sight and sound
I would never have gone
I would never have gone
This man is old, and fat, and sold us all (?)
I would never have gone
I would never have gone
I would never have gone
Between the skin and bone is where the west was won
I would never have gone
I would never have gone
Swallowing all the bowl by their orders (?)
I would never have gone
I would never have gone
I would never have gone
Honey this will be your future
Honey this will be
your future you should care enough to
carve your heart into a tree
and it shall live with someone special
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