Black Box Recorder【England Made Me】 @ Words Get Around

Artist : Black Box Recorder
Album : England Made Me (1998)
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這真的是一張很耐聽的專輯，八年後的今天，拿出來聽還是覺得很有味道。

這是一個由Luke Haines(Auteurs樂團的靈魂人物，有作家般文字功力的搖滾樂手)、John Moore(Guitar，之前是遊手好閒的酒商!?)及有著甜蜜撩人嗓音的Sarah Nixey組成的玩票性質樂團。這張專輯是他們初試啼聲之作，卻是一張有著淡淡哀愁且曖曖內含光的傑作，而團名正式適如其份地表達出他們的風格，黑盒子記錄器，機載飛機失事時的通聯紀錄，想當然爾，他們想表達的內容大概也脫不了悲慘不幸與失落憂傷的主題，如同專輯中的第四首歌【It 's Only The End Of The World】。

極簡的樂器編曲，吉他撥弦與鼓點像是捨不得破壞音樂中的寧靜低調氛圍似的輕柔簡單，卻已足以撩撥人心。也正因為如此，樂器與人生的搭配恰足以凸顯那脆弱易碎、且清潤婉轉的的女Vocal。加上Luke那慘情、悲傷、陰鬱、冷調、黑暗、淒美卻優雅細膩的歌詞，使得整張專輯泛著一股異色的沉靜美感，相當適合在深夜拿出來反覆仔細回味，就像淺酌陳年佳釀般的易醉。

專輯中的第二首同名歌曲is my favorite，那輕柔的吉他撥弦與Drone Drone作響的feed-back，像黑洞般令人一頭栽進回憶的漩渦，而糖蜜般甜美的歌聲以述說故事般冷靜沉著聲調吟唱著詩意的歌詞，沒辦法，這種Tone對我簡直是致命的吸引力。

England and Brit-Pop made me , absolutely .

附上歌詞:

I trapped a spider underneath a glass
I kept it for a week to see how long he'd last
He stared right back at me,
He thought that he could win
We played a waiting game
He thought that I'd give in

England made me
England made me

I had a dream last night
That I was drunk
I killed a stranger
And left him in a trunk
At Brighton railway station
It was an unsolved case
A famous murder mystery
People love a mystery

England made me (x4)

I need my privacy
I lead a secret life
Sleep with the enemy
Then betray both sides
I traveled all my life
But never got away
From the killing jar
And the garden shed

England made me (x8)

完整試聽的是第六首【Child Psychology】(按右鍵另開視窗)

延伸聆聽:
【The Fact Of Life】(2000) 別被封面嚇到了