The Silent Years: The Globe
The Silent Years: The Globe
Tuesday, 20, Oct 2009 12:13
Gift, out October 19th.
In a nutshell...
Ambitious, eclectic but flawed record
What's it all about?
Many intellectual 20somethings get wrapped up in grand ideas - existence, love, and all that - to the point where they become self-obsessed, quixotic yet strangely attractive young boys or girls. The orchestrator and frontman of the Silent Years Josh Epstein seems to be one such fellow.
Put in his own words, Epstein said: "The notion that inspired the concept was the idea or theory that everything exists probably exists everywhere." Now, in this sentence lies the problem. Firstly, just look at the lexicon of Epstein. 'Notion', 'concept', 'idea', 'theory' all in one indefinite utterance? While ambiguity is intriguing, this is a step too far. The nature of being is something too much for everyone to address on such a broad platform, and Epstein fails in his attempt, even if with a little gusto.
Who's it by?
This is the sophomore effort from this Detroit collective, but the band are not what they were when their self-titled first album was released. While Epstein remains the central protagonist, three-fifths of the line-up is now from Detroit indie band Rescue.
The group formed back in 2005 and their name was inspired by a former member's time at mime school. The revolving members of the group are involved in other arts, and Epstein is even involved in a Broadway production. Perhaps this is where the erratic nature of the album is partly derived from.
As an example.
"The sun is alive and so am I/We're equal in God's eyes."
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Being something of a quirky underground band, a trip to the Grammy's would most likely befuddle the Silent Years.
What the others say
"At times The Globe hits giddy heights, but for some reason the band were afraid to take the knife and cut away some of the sludge that prevents this album from becoming potentially pretty great." - Richard Wink, Drowned in Sound
"The Globe succeeds in displaying genuine diversity with sufficient distinctiveness to cut its own niche." - Lisa Wright, NME
So is it any good?
In an age when the concept of the album is a vulnerable one, it seems that cohesiveness is something that may help keep the LP format alive. The Silent Years seem to have disregarded this fact on The Globe, which blends genres in each song as well as between each number, and has such an overarching central idea that it loses its stability altogether. And that is what sums up the record: instability.
Compare The Globe to one of the finest indie albums in recent years: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart's self-titled debut. While the musicianship may not be as accomplished as The Silent Years, the togetherness of band, ideas and every one of the fuzzy, indie pop songs on the comparatively short work makes for as close to a perfect LP as you are likely to hear in these times.
There are exquisite moments on The Globe, however. Epstein's overreaching does occasionally pay off, as trying to take on so much the band almost inevitably has to strike gold at least once. Fortunately for the Silent Years, there is more than a single high point on the 16 tracks found here.
When the simple folk of On Our Way Home progressively builds up to crashing cymbals and clunking piano, a thrilling crescendo is achieved. Leaving aside a needless detour into Killers-esque solo guitar riffery, the tune has an intimacy that much of the filler on The Globe lacks. It achieves the on-the-road sentiment and feel it is going for.
Then on Black Hole, Epstein explores the juxtaposition of the personal and the universal. "I can offer you my hand, but I can't save you from inevitability", he delicately explains. When the echoed piano, angelic backing vocals and militaristic snares start to chug along, the human and the otherworldly seem pitted against one another - not in an epic battle but in a plaintive acceptance of never being able to reconcile the two opposites. Again, simply woeful guitar soloing upsets the simple beauty of the track, but this inconsistency can be forgiven in this instance.
The irregularity from then on becomes an irritance and some songs are simply dull - indie that craves for soul but is entirely devoid of it as jerky rhythms and uniqueness are ranked above atmosphere. There is no chance to settle, no chance to get to know or fall for the group, even though the potential for getting close is there. If Epstein only took on a simpler, more confined concept than man's place in the universe, then the charm of The Silent Years would almost certainly shine through.
5/10
Tom Brewster