即使已經聽了上百遍的新專輯,即使在短文裡稍稍做了簡略的介紹,但是現在要來說說自己聽過的心得還是有些擔心沒能說的更詳盡、更完整,畢竟這次的作品對Mew來說,重要性不下於他們的第一張專輯A Triumph For Man。面對創團成員Johan Wohlert離團,Mew團員們這次以三人編制,花了四年時間錄製的作品No More Stories/ Are Told Today / I'm Sorry / They Washed Away // No More Stories / The World Is Grey / I'm Tired / Let's Wash Away在旋律鋪成上更為明亮多樣,詞雖然大多如同專輯名稱的謎幻抽象,但是在幾句歌詞的顯明情緒讓這次的作品有著Mew反思樂團本身或自己情感態度的意味。
音樂編度上另外的驚喜則是這次的異國節奏聲響和恢弘的人聲合唱,Hawaii可以很清楚聽到陣陣的清脆馬利樂器敲打和一開始的多部人聲歌詠。我非常非常喜歡Jonas在這次新專輯的歌聲表情,這次他的歌聲沉穩,聽著聽著會讓人都陷了下去般的著迷,假音也不再單薄,在歌中他唱著:「The weather is like you / Third time's the charm / Like a dog it's breathing / They are just as lonely / And we all make mistakes once in a while。」The weather is like you,很美很美的形容(雖然接著又開始謎了起來…well it's MEW),以及And we all make mistakes once in a while,就是這樣,我們總是犯了一些錯誤,即使後悔與否。相似的豐富畫面曲目還有Cartoons And Macremé Wounds,從一開始的平和dreamy曲調到後半部的高潮起伏,編度上有些前作Kites那種Prog rock的味道,但沒那麼陰鬱,即便最後Jonas的假音激昂力道是那麼的讓人心折。
而這次的作品雖然旋律明亮,但是細讀歌詞,裡頭的力道和情感卻是比以往都重,Silas The Magic Car是其中一首,簡單的吉他、鼓、和聲、鍵琴,Jonas平緩的唱,但卻讓人印象很深很深:「No one thought of it / We didn't know we'd seen their last show / Silas and Bo, they got tired / And they'll call you once a week / Cause it's strange here / No dark career / They all say they long / To reach their sorrow now / That's gone。」即便訪問時團員們平淡帶過,但Johan的離團對於樂團帶來的影響還是在的,尤其對於他們來說。Mew不像一般樂團樂手是音樂雜誌廣告找來的陌生團員,從六歲就彼此結識的團員們彼此感情更超乎樂團事務的交集,雖然我不喜歡某些訪談刻意的引導放大Johan離團這件事,但就像是Silas The Magic Car歌裡唱的,也許在台上演出時或是平常巡迴交通往返的空檔,團員們心中還是會想到這個老朋友。專輯末的曲目Reprise旋律是Silas The Magic Car的re-made,有著The Cure那樣味道的moody曲式寬廣大氣,Jonas歌中唱著老者的低語:「For you see, the dreamers have all grown / And I so wanted children of my own。」,Mew在94年組團,從一開始十六七歲出頭,到現今三十出頭的年紀,Jonas在Comforting Sounds裡唱著:「Back when we were kids, we would always know when to stop / And now all the good kids are messing up / Nobody has gained or accomplished anything。」我想對於成長後那份夢想是否還能完成,或是一切就這樣幻滅,在早年的Comforting Sounds詞句已透露出端倪,在Reprise裡Jonas用老者語氣訴說著那份感嘆。
Vaccine和Sometimes Life Isn't Easy也很顯明傳達他們的私人情感。Vaccine前半部唱著Maria女神的死亡意象,後半部Jonas傾訴著對於所愛生命殞逝的恐懼;Sometimes Life Isn't Easy裡Jonas唱著:「Isn't that how it goes / When you're lovesick? / Thinking about everything // Don't you know sometimes / When it feels like someone put a hex on you? / Well, I felt like that / I was blaming myself / I was cushioning my fall。」在副歌要開始前唱著情緒要崩解的段落:「Hold my arms back when they beat me / Leave me in the ditch when they kick me / Sever my limbs and deceive me / Sometimes life isn't easy。」是那樣深刻的詞,這些Jonas近來的體會總讓人感同身受。
這次的專輯因為這些段落,讓我著迷聆聽很多很多遍,有時聽著哭了有時聽了跟著高聲合唱,不管以往樂迷覺得現在的Mew沒有當時Frengers時的上耳旋律,玩得太偏或是啥的,這次的作品在我心中是他們玩得最成熟的一次,也是情感濃度最厚重的一次。其實要推薦哪首歌試聽真的有些苦惱,因為每首曲目的獨特性都讓人難以取捨…先請大家聽聽Sometimes Life Isn't Easy吧,這是第一首擊倒我的曲目。