Silverstein
Arrivals & Departures
Victory
Usually I hate it when aggressive bands sing when they should be screaming, but then I also usually hate Silverstein. And so, while I listen to their third release for Victory Records, I find myself actually preferring the more modest vocals of Shane Told’s singing voice. There’s a certain new wave element to it that is pleasant enough to suck me in. Yes, he’s got the whine but so does Matt Skiba on occassion and I adore Alkaline Trio… with this in mind, I try my hardest to open up to Silverstein.
While songs like the emo-core (Atreyu meets Hawthone Heights) “Worlds Apart” still make me choke, there are silver linings to the dark cloud that are these Warped Tour darlings, and they appear in the form of “Sound of the Sun,” and “If You Could See Into My Soul.” Placed early enough on the album to keep me from hitting the eject button, they lull me into submission, tear away my bias (well, some of it), and move me to listen on a new level. After a few throw-away songs, “Still Dreaming” reels me back in and makes me question my sanity – Am I actually enjoying a Silverstein record?
This band is shooting to be as cult-loved as Lifetime, and falling several yards short, but after this solid release they may be closer than ever to legitimacy within the music world. If only Told would stop screaming. He’s more of a singer than even he seems to realize.
Silverstein: http://www.silversteinmusic.com
