2007-03-05
Blackfield, the band as much as the new album, is something that it's hard to state your exact opinion on. Almost as much as hard it is to set an opinion on either Geffen or Wilson, these days at least. In the quest after the right answer we go through typical Aviv Geffen melodies and ideas, the well known warm and tight production by Steven Wilson and some "between the line" doubts.
In oppose to the first album, which was mostly a compilation of musical occasions and much more musically balanced, here we have a real band organism working. Who's side is it working for? That's an entirely different question.
As the album was being written and recorded a statement was made- saying that Geffen is the main writer and Wilson will mostly be playing the producer's role, material performer, contribute a few songs and give final touches to others. This also is probably the best description there is to how the album sounds. This is Aviv Geffen - the English version. Steven does add the adjustments he needs so that he will level up to the worldwide musical bar, still, we only get a professional but too typical Aviv Geffen. The more interesting songs here are, as expected, by the hand of Steven.
Wilson wrote only three songs to the album. "Once", the opening track and the promo single. The most kickass rock song in the album, though you would expect a better lyrical content from the guy who wrote masterpieces like "Lightbulb sun" and "Stupid dream". Don't worry, he makes up for it big time in the slightly cynical but right to the point "Christenings" and "My gift of silence", which in my opinion is one of the best tracks on this album and a great ballad altogether. Big applause for the line "The smile on my lips, is a sign that I don't hear you leaving me".
Geffen on the other hand, has pretty much contributed all the other tracks, minus two that they co-wrote.
This album, as well as the first one, has the bad habit of recycling his old Hebrew songs into an English version. I think that a pair of artist talented as these doesn't really need to go through the archives to bring a good song to the table, even though "End of the world" has a good notion and a is great album finisher; "Epidemic" is a song that they have been performing with since the first album, and already got a Hebrew version on Aviv's last album. "Where is my love" has already been released in a bonus cd for the first album.
"This killer" is another typical Geffen. Text wise and melody-wise as well, so as "1000 people". Both are a proof of the great products this duo can make.
Blackfield 2 will probably remain as a "love it or hate it" album. Aviv Geffen fans will keep talking about how much he grew up and how he finally made it worldwide. Wilson fans will probably keep waiting for Porcupine Tree's "Fear of a blank planet" that's coming out in April.
But there is no doubt that the melodies, melancholic feeling and warmness that they construct together will be our soundtrack for the winter. Even though we know, that for the next winter we will have to find something new.
Roy Povarchik
