Syd Bishop, LEO WEEKLY:
"There is a special kind of magic in Silent Screen, with elements of indie, lounge, punk, jazz and more, held together in one cohesive package. The band channels the sort of indie charm that’s reminiscent of bands like Viet Cong or Joy Division, filtered through intensity of Television and tempered by the steady hand of Radiohead. This is an especially tuneful record and one with a unique set of production values. No single instrument is privileged over another, save for vocals, and what is represented tonally is prone to shift from song to song. You never know what to expect."
Ben Southward, IRON POST:
"It is really difficult to pin down the sound on this album. If David Byrne and James Murphy made a record together, recruited Colin Greenwood to play bass, and fleshed out the texture with keyboards and saxophone, it might sound something like this (maybe?). The first four songs on Silent Screen assail your ears with unrelenting momentum and sound – crunchy basslines, bright guitars, bongos, accelerating breakbeats, and vocals sometimes past the point of shouting. “Boy to Do” exemplifies this perfectly – it’s armed with an opening guitar riff that will undoubtedly get stuck in your head, and a bass that sounds like its powered by a diesel engine. By the time the album reaches its midpoint, your ears are ready for a bit of relief, and “Crystal Girl” provides exactly that. The song pumps along with a a quiet electronic beat, warbling guitar, and much calmer vocals that stretch themselves into beautiful falsetto, singing much more tender lines like “she danced right through my mind tonight” and “crystal girl, wont you dance a while with me.” The single, “Photograph,” follows directly after – a song that starts mellow and relatively quiet before growing into an angular, dense, psychedelic track drenched with saxophone. “Stutterstep” is dizzying in its combination of syncopated guitar and swirling synthesizers, and has one of the best grooves of the entire album by the time it reaches the chorus. The album ends with the grandiose, smoky slow-jam, “Babydoll,” complete with weighty drums and vocal harmonies as the chorus sings “you’re not my babydoll.” At just over a half-hour, Silent Screen is over before you even know it, but it manages to be absolutely unique and interesting from the very beginning – absolutely worth at least a few listens."
credits
released August 27, 2016
Produced and Engineered by Andy Myers at the Outpost in Louisville, KY.
Additional mastering by JC Denison.
Additional saxophone by Dylon Jones.
Additional drumming by JC Denison.
Special thanks to Jake Philley.
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