#MusicMonday: A Silent Film - You Will Leave a Mark
I have a serious crush on this song right now. No for reals- if I could sit in a room with the lights out, and my headphones on, feeling on this beat for the rest of my life ... I would die a very happy little nerd.
It has gone past the point of unhealthy obsession and has now entered into a state of EVERYONE MUST KNOW THIS BANNDDD!!!!! I dig 'em. The video is only mehhhh ... but this beat, man. Good. Good. GOOD. STUFF!!
Nerds, meet A Silent Film!!
(Interview courtesy of Chicken Ramen)
Oxford has a habit of producing kooky, unconventional, idiosyncratic bands, inventive to the point of pretention and lauded as such. A Silent Film are the perfect antidote to this. Debut album The City That Sleeps boasts reverb drenched pianos, swooping melodies, and pleasantly consistent time signatures. Let's Get Going... You're Fracturing Me with This Misery this ain’t.
Comparisons to Radiohead are obvious (see the none-more-Eraser chord that introduces Julie June), as are comparisons to another piano wielding rock pop four piece (Listen to the first 30 seconds of Lamplight for a distillation of the entire of Coldplay’s X&Y album). But these comparisons, although pertinent, are woefully inadequate. A Silent Film rock ten times harder than St Chris and Co, and their music is more immediately satisfying than the guys in the ‘Head.
Even if you think Thirteen Times the Strength is getting a bit Keane for you, then all will be forgiven at 2:43, when a middle-eight of descending vocals and pounding drums creates a gloriously touching cacophony of sound. And it’s not above A Silent Film to get a bit outré either, as the jazz coda and militaristic drumming of One Wrong Door demonstrates, along with the ambient intro to Feather White which would not sound out of place on a Set Fire to Flames album.
But all this pales in comparison to You Will Leave a Mark which is a slice of pure sparkling gold from beginning to end. Those clever people at UKTV Watch knew what they were doing when they soundtracked one of their trailers with this (Planet Earth, Torchwood and Richard & Judy’s New Position all together on one channel!? Gosh). It is action packed, melodically inventive, brilliantly produced, and with a strong pop sensibility. The boys were right to hold it back to seventh place on the album – not much lives up to the giddy heights set by this song.
Well, that is apart from Highest Regard which again recalls X&Y in its reverb laden production. Although one could hardly imagine Mr. Paltrow referencing Tennessee Williams, or being backed by such a scorching guitar solo. The baroque, descending piano arpeggio of Ghost in the Water is the perfect antidote to the all out rockingness of the rest of the album, with some tremolo picked, heavily treated guitar that would put O’Brien and Greenwood to shame.
While it may show its hand a little too early, The City That Sleeps is a signifier of great promise, full of catchy, clever pop, powerful arrangements, skillfully sung and played by a band who clearly have great confidence in their art.
Chicken Ramen newshound Bob Average was lucky enough to get the boys to answer a few questions.
Chicken Ramen: Hello! How's the album doing?
A Silent Film: Hello, very well thanks. It's one of those slow burning albums that people are not sure what to make of on first listen but it grows on them. Everyone has a different favourite track which has always been the sign of a good album to me.
CR: What do you make of the blossoming Oxford music scene? How do you feel you fit in with the scene as a whole?
ASF: We feel very lucky; everyone in Oxford seems to be struck by this ambition to fuse something intellectual with something very simple. Although often you struggle in the shadow of some amazing bands it keeps you on your toes.
CR: When I imported your album into iTunes, it told me you were unclassifiable. O rly? Discuss.
ASF: Really? That's amazing! I'm extremely pleased about that, I'd say we're an alt rock band, I think that means we have a guitar but we don't rock out in a cheesy way but I'm not sure.
CR: Is your band a song writing democracy, or is there one lead songwriter? What's A Silent Film's typical song writing process?
ASF: It's a democracy for sure, we often re-write and re-arrange songs 4 or 5 times before they go to tape. There always has to be a core element lyrically or a strong melody that touches you so that usually comes first. Then it's a case of presenting that idea in an original and interesting way. Usually it'll end up with a fight because no one wants to back down.
CR: What has 2009 got in store for a silent film?
ASF: Hopefully we'll keep touring until everyone who wants to see us has seen us or supporting big bands so that everyone who doesn't yet know they want to see us gets a chance. And then we'll disappear for a short time and record album number two.
We’re definitely looking forward to that!
and here is my CURRENT #NowPlaying ... "You Will Leave a Mark" Enjoy, lovers!