13062011

Blackfield - Welcome To My DNA (2011)

(pop rock / alternative rock)

I finally got around to reviewing this album. I've been reviewing it in my head for quite some time now and I haven't seen myself as matured enough to review it verbally. This was my one of the most expected releases of 2011, and it also turned out to be one of the most controversial releases I've listened to this year. I knew Blackfield wouldn't go wrong with this album but when I saw the name not being Blackfield III, I was already expecting a slight disappointment. And that's what I got.

At first.

Blackfield two previous releases, I and II, are two of my all-time favorite albums. They are so full of deep emotions, unhealed scars and tears that won't that just won't dry, no matter how hard the wind blows. The expectations were unfairly high for Welcome To My DNA. The album is, indeed, different from the previous two but it finally struck a nail in the head of my life. The thematics of the album revolve strongly around three subjects: leaving, way-making, and arriving - or in short, travelling. I'm leaving on a journey of my own in three months and I've come to realize how majority of the songs touch me on a personal level, which is exactly what I was hoping for from a Blackfield album.

Any day can be the last day in your life
So make it an unforgettable time

 There are many single parts in the songs that I can hold close to my heart even after only a few listens and no memories that I would be able to attach to the song. The above, from Rising Of The Tide, I discovered some time ago when I was thinking about fulfilling my dreams. I wrote another quote about the same subject in an earlier blog text: today is the first day of the rest of your life.

Musically the album is much poppier than the previous work of Geffen and Wilson. This can best be seen of Waving, which reflects their lighter touch on this album compared to the others. There are emotions to be dealt with but not every melody has to be written in a dark minor. Yet, with the follow-up track, Far Away, the duo implements Wilson's angelic voice, a quiet guitar and a melody that makes you cry endless, saltless tears.

Wherever I stay, there's a feeling I'm so far away
I got no home town
I never put roots down

Geffen's singing on the album compliments Wilson's quite well in my opinion. People don't give his voice credit because it gets easily overshadowed by Wilson's voice. Geffen sings honestly and where his voice might lack personality, it thrives in conveying the sorrowful emotions. Two excellent singers would not compliment each other, they would start a rivalry ending up in a disaster. That's why Geffen and Wilson work so well together - vocally and instrumentally, of which the latter can be seen in the nearly fully instrumental Blood, which is completely outside Blackfield's box and refreshes the album even more.

On The Plane is should've been the title track of this album in my opinion. The album art reflects to this song. The lyrics reflect to the album art and the general themes of the album. The music is Blackfield. But maybe they intended this song to be something worth discovering.

The rain against the windows, you're waiting on the stairs
You double check the driveway for someone standing there
You calculate the chances of presents on your bed tonight
Daddy's on his way

I was right when I gave this album the chance it needed. Sometimes things need another chance to work out. At first, we seem so eager to make decisions based on our first judgement. We jump into conclusions without hesitating and do what we consider to be right. Sometimes we even do something we consider to be a mistake - yet we define the laws of fate and do it regardless. But can we really know that we're making a mistake? Aren't mistakes supposed to be discovered after we have made them, not before? I encourage you to make mistakes, take risks, and say 'yes' to life. But the mistakes and risks in life are usually the ones you consider to be the safest bet. Avoiding something isn't making a mistake, nor taking a risk - facing it is what strengthens you.

"Everything tells me that I am about to make a wrong decision, but making mistakes is just part of life. What does the world want of me? Does it want me to take no risks, to go back to where I came from because I didn't have the courage to say "yes" to life?" -Paulo Coelho (Eleven Minutes)

Also, say 'yes' to Blackfield's Welcome To My DNA. An incredible entity of music.

.while you were away.