Domani esce Constant Unfailing Night, album di debutto degli Elle Mary & The Bad Men, trio di Manchester guidato dalla talentuosa cantautrice gallese Elle Mary (specificazione lapalissiana ma anche no). Il disco – anticipato a giugno dal singolo Undead – esce in Italia per A Modest Proposal, etichetta sempre attenta a selezionare proposte di qualità e a perseguire l’amore per la musica in modo puro.
Constant Unfailing Night si muove per atmosfere folk-noir intensissime dal forte impatto emotivo ed esce probabilmente nella stagione dell’anno più adatta al suo ascolto. È un album che nasce da una rottura tormentata e da un lungo processo di composizione – 3 anni – e di trasformazione musicale.
Se siete fan di Sharon Van Etten, Laura Marling, Cat Power e Angel Olsen e state in fissa pure per lo slow-core dei Low o di Sun Kil Moon, è un disco che consumerete. Se rientrate solo parzialmente in queste categorie d’ascolto state tranquilli: vi piacerà comunque un sacco.
Abbiamo chiesto a Elle Mary di raccontarci il disco traccia per traccia: queste le sue parole.
These songs have no specific meaning, sometimes one line comes from some part of my life and another line from another part or sometimes a private joke to myself. However there is usually an over arching theme that I’ll try to convey here.
Falling
Quite a literal song initially. About two times I fell. As an adult and a child. As an adult I couldn’t actually believe it had happened. It’s something only children do right? It hurt. I’m not surprised they cry. As a child in an out door paddling pool I almost drowned falling over. When my father picked me out of the water I exclaimed ‘I couldn’t find my feet’. That must have been a scary few seconds for them. At the time of writing this I think I was also suffering with anxiety and low self esteem. I didnt know it at the time but it was affecting my relationship. I think this is what the chorus is hinting to. Probably a huge cause for the end of the relationship but I believe this is called ‘hind sight bias’. Seems the song knew even though I didn’t.
No Baby
This song is a collection of different strands of thought and stories from friends. After some time with it I started to see the feminist themes, being told to smile, being taught to believe that someone else can fix you and a baby can give you direction. This song almost lists them out for you to infer what you want. I love the ending, just dragging it out almost to the point of annoyance before flipping it. There’s fun in it.
Happiness
Offfff I was not happy writing this. Quite soon after the break up I watched two films about suicide, one involving the Golden Gate Bridge and the other about the forests of Mount Fuji. What I got from them was an idea that maybe it’s ok if that’s what will make you happy. Now I find this incredibly naive of me to think like this, it’s an incredible, complex and hard subject, especially for those left behind. I guess as humans we need to round things up neatly with a story or sense of justice. Sometimes there isn’t one.
Ocean
You know what they say. To get over someone you have to get under someone! Haha…ha… Sometimes it’s just incredibly depressing though and you find you have nothing left to give. There’s a sliver of hope though remembering what you used to be. Or maybe that’s just sad as well. This song is eery and surrounds you. I absolutely love Michael’s bass part in this. It’s all about that.
Dark
I was listening to a lot of Scout Niblett when I wrote this. I had moved in by myself and was finding the solitude quite hard. I realised that I was becoming a little depressed but was convincing myself that I WANTED to stay in and see no one. It was a bit of a journey becoming ok with my own company.
Pretend
Originally a text written in jest at my own expense. A series of short lived romances it was almost becoming funny. I had also met Terrine and Chicaloyoh and started listening to more noise and experimental music and started playing around myself. What I like most is that nothing is wrong with experimental music. Everything becomes part of the experience from the silence to the noise the audience makes or feedback from the guitar. I never know what will happen when I play this.
Undead
This is how I processed the grief from my father’s passing. I pushed quite a lot down and then one day realised that I thought his death was just a phase, soon he’d be over it and come back and it would all go back to normal. Then I had to deal with it all.
Behave
A literal song of having e-fucking-nough. I spent much of my teens and early twenties letting people walk all over me and I was done. The song is meant to be funny but also give you strength. The music is simple and driving. Our ‘punk’ number.
Later
Probably my favourite song on the album. I really love the plodding jangley nature of the music. This is also about my father. I did a lot of growing up after he died and cringe at my self-obsession when he was alive. My problems really amount to nothing. I wish he could see what I’m becoming although maybe I wouldn’t be like I am if he were still here? Although I guess there’s something still self involved about the song which makes me laugh. My friend Nick Ainsworth has a poem that goes something like ‘I must remember to stop being obsessed with myself. I am not eighteen.’ It’s that vibe.
