reviews / 2011

BOSTON SPACESHIPS - Let It Beard

2011 (Guided by voices inc.)
alt-rock
by Lorenzo Righetto
6

Fermatelo. Robert Pollard sembra essersi assegnato l'incarico di resuscitare il rock a colpi di uscite: non ultima quest'anno, c'è da scommetterci, questo "Let It Beard", pubblicata tramite il suo progetto Boston Spaceships, formato da lui stesso, da Chris Slusarenko, suo compare nei Guided By Voices, e da John Moen, già nei Decemberists. Quinto album in tre anni, ma non solo: trenta tracce senza riempitivi, una sbornia composta in una sorta di rituale nostalgico, officiato da ospiti di grande rango (tra tutti va ricordato l'assolo di J Mascis in "Tourist UFO"). Il rock attraversato nelle sue più varie espressioni, dai Beatles agli Who, passando per il punk e, appunto, per i Dinosaur Jr., rivisto e interpretato secondo i canoni lo-fi dei Guided By Voices. In una grande prova di resistenza, Pollard incastra incedere bandistico e spoken word ("Christmas Girl"), violini e momenti noise, con la maestria di un vecchio lupo. "Let It Beard", col suo monumentale dispiegarsi (insolitamente numerose anche le tracce intorno ai tre-quattro minuti), non dà mai la sensazione di incontinenza artistica, magari, ma neanche quella di un'opera a fuoco. Più importante come testimonianza di una "presenza artistica" che come opera musicale vera e propria.

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04/08/2011

This article is an English translation of the original Italian text by Lorenzo Righetto, published on OndaRock.it. It was translated with the help of artificial intelligence, under the editorial responsibility of OndaRock's editor-in-chief, Claudio Fabretti.

Read the original in Italian · About the English edition

Tracklist

  1. 1. Blind 20-20
  2. 2. Juggernaut Vs. Monolith
  3. 3. Tourist U.F.O.
  4. 4. Minefield Searcher
  5. 5. Make A Record For Lo-life
  6. 6. Let More Light In The House
  7. 7. You Just Can't Tell
  8. 8. Chevy Marigold
  9. 9. Earmarked For Collision
  10. 10. Toppings Take The Cake
  11. 11. Tabby And Lucy
  12. 12. (I'll Make It) Strong For You
  13. 13. A Hair In Every Square Inch Of The House
  14. 14. The Ballad Of Bad Whiskey
  15. 15. I Took On The London Guys
  16. 16. Red Bodies
  17. 17. A Dozen Blue Overcoats
  18. 18. Pincushion
  19. 19. Christmas Girl
  20. 20. Let It Beard
  21. 21. The Vicelords
  22. 22. German Field Of Shadows
  23. 23. Speed Bumps
  24. 24. No Steamboats
  25. 25. You In My Prayer
  26. 26. Inspiration Points
  27. 27. A. Shove Thy Neighbor
  28. 28. B. Human Amusements At Hourly Rates
  29. 29. C. Man Of A 1000 Worlds
  30. 30. D. Inspiration Point

BOSTON SPACESHIPS sul web

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Boston Spaceships su OndaRock

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