JON FOREMAN  "Fall And Winter"

Il progetto di Jon Foreman (già cantante dei Switchfoot…) si preannuncia molto interessante per quanto riguarda il mondo della musica cristiana. Questa compilation uscita nel 2008 è formata da 2 CD per un totale di 12 tracce che compongono per l’appunto questo “Fall And Winter”.
Il sound è ricercato e non annoia mai, anzi riesce sempre a creare la giusta atmosfera, complice la straordinaria voce di Jon e la vasta gamma di strumenti utilizzati in questo CD. Il primo CD s’intitola “Fall” ed è composto da sei tracce che sin dalla prima ‘The Cure Of Pain’ ci fa capire il valore di questo lavoro.
Tutta la compilation si muove su sonorità rock che si lasciano trasportare in modo dolce su sonorità folk, intrecciando melodia e ritmo e creando la giusta alchimia tra musica e testi. Colpisce molto la compattezza delle canzoni che non cadono mai nel banale, ma coinvolgono sempre di più l’ascoltatore e riescono a trasmettere un messaggio più profondo con i testi. Com’è il caso di ‘The Cure Of Pain’ e le parole del suo ritornello: "And heaven knows, heaven knows / I tried to find a cure for the pain / Oh my lord! to suffer like you do / It would be a lie to run away / So blood is fire pulsing through our veins / We're either riders or fools behind the reigns / I've spent ten years trying to sing it all away / But the water keeps on falling from my tries” .
Oppure possiamo ascoltare la stupenda ‘Lord, Save Me From My Self’ dalle sonorità quasi indescrivibili di cui riportiamo la prima parte del testo: ” My mind is dull and faded / From these years of buy and sell / My eyes have seen the glory / Of this hollow modern shell / And sex is a grand production / But I'm bored with that as well / Ah, Lord save me from myself”.
Da segnalare per questo primo CD anche ‘Moon Is A Magnet’ brano che viene aperto dal suono di un sax, presenza di tale strumento che riesce a dar quel tocco in più, e ci fa capire la vastità di strumenti usati in questo progetto.
Senza dimenticare le altre canzoni che compongo questo “Fall” specialmente ‘Equally Skilled’ brano in sintonia con le altre tracce nel cui testo troviamo bellissime parole: "Though I sit here in darkness / The Lord, the Lord alone / He will be my light / I will be patient as the Lord / Punishes me for the wrongs / I've done against him”.
Il secondo CD si intitola “Winter” e segue di pari passo lo schema del primo CD, il copione è sempre lo stesso e risulta essere vincente!
La voce di Jon Foreman è un punto saldo di questo progetto ed attorno ad essa si costruisce il sound, dolce,ritmato come detto sopra un alchimia tra tanti strumenti. I quattro minuti di ‘White As Snow’ sono di un’intensità unica, come le parole del testo : “Have mercy on me, oh God / According to Your unfailing love / According to Your great compassion / Blot out my transgressions / Create in me a clean heart, oh God / Restore in me the joy of Your salvation / The sacrifices of our God are a broken and a contrite heart / Against You and You *alone* have I sinned / Would You create in me a clean heart, oh God / Restore in me the joy of my salvation”.
‘I Am Still Running’ non fa altro che confermare il valore di questo lavoro. La song è carratterizzata da un constante battito di mani che tengono il ritmo e ci accompagnano lungo tutto questo brano; infine il ritornello a due voci fa di questa traccia qualcosa di speciale: “You remember me / before I learned to run / At the kissing tree / before I learned my guns / We were 17 / 17 years young / I am still running / I am still running / I had no idea the pain would be this strong / I had no idea the fight would last this long / In my darkest fears the rights become the wrongs / I am still running, I am still running I am still running I am still running”.
Di fatto anche le altre quattro canzoni che compongono questo secondo CD sono dei pezzi di rara intensità, come la finale ‘In Love’ che per un pò lascia voce ai vari strumenti.
Bella sorpresa questo lavoro, due CD molto coinvolgenti, che meritano un ascolto!

Tommaso “tonno” Benedetti
Voto: 8,5/10

The project of Jon Foreman (singer of Switchfoot band too...) forecasts very interesting regarding the world of the christian music. This compilation came out in 2008 is formed by 2 CD for a total of 12 tracks that make together this "Fall And Winter".
The sound is wanted and it never annoys, even better it's able to create the right atmosphere, accomplice the extraordinary voice of Jon and the wide range of instruments used for this CD. The first CD is titled "Fall" and it is formed by 6 tracks that since the first 'The Cure Of Pain' makes us understanding the value of this production.
All the compilation moves on rock sonorities that are carried away in a sweet way by folk sonorities, interlacing melody and rhythm and creating the right alchemy between music and lyric. The compactness of the songs surprises a lot, they never fall in the commonplace, but they involve more and more the listener and they can transmit a deeper message with the lyrics. Like the case of 'The Cure Of Pain' and the words of its refrain: "And heaven knows, heaven knows / I tried to find a cure for the pain / Oh my lord! to suffer like you do / It would be a lie to run away / So blood is fire pulsing through our veins / We're either riders or fools behind the reigns / I've spent ten years trying to sing it all away / But the water keeps on falling from my tries" .
Or the wonderful 'Lord, Save Me From My Self' with sonorities almost indescribable where the first part of the lyric says: "My mind is dull and faded / From these years of buy and sell / My eyes have seen the glory / Of this hollow modern shell / And sex is a grand production / But I'm bored with that as well / Ah, Lord save me from myself".
I have to cite for this first CD also 'Moon Is A Magnet' song opened by the sound of a Saxophone, presence of this instrument that is able to give a better sonority, and it make us understanding that wideness of the instruments used in this project.
Without forgetting the other songs that make this "Fall" especially 'Equally Skilled' song in synthony with the other tracks and in the lyric we can find the following words: "Though I sit here in darkness / The Lord, the Lord alone / He will be my light / I will be patient as the Lord / Punishes me for the wrongs / I've done against him".
The second CD is titled "Winter" and it follows with the same step the schema of the first CD, the script is always the same but it's always a winning script! The voice of Jon Foreman is a staunch point of this project and around of this, the sound is built, sweet, cadenced, as I said before and alchemy among a lot of instruments. The four minutes of 'White As Snow' are a unique intensity, like the words of the lyric: "Have mercy on me, oh God / According to Your unfailing love / According to Your great compassion / Blot out my transgressions / Create in me a clean heart, oh God / Restore in me the joy of Your salvation / The sacrifices of our God are a broken and a contrite heart / Against You and You *alone* have I sinned / Would You create in me a clean heart, oh God / Restore in me the joy of my salvation".
'I Am Still Running' confirms nothing less than the value of this production, a constant beat of hands accompany us along all the song, and a refrain at two voices make this track special: "You remember me / before I learned to run / At the kissing tree / before I learned my guns / We were 17 / 17 years young / I am still running / I am still running / I had no idea the pain would be this strong / I had no idea the fight would last this long / In my darkest fears the rights become the wrongs / I am still running, I am still running I am still running I am still running".
By the way also the other four songs that compounds this second CD are pieces of rare intensity, like the final 'In Love' that for a while lets the voice to the other instruments.
Nice surprise this production, two very involving CDs, that deserve a listening!

Tommaso “tonno” Benedetti
Voto: 8,5/10