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Silent Skies Forge A Dark Pop Path With 3rd Full-Length “Dormant”
Life, whether it runs eighty minutes or years, is a series of one turning point after another. We live in a constant state of becoming – becoming what we are and aren’t meant to be, becoming young, middle-aged, and eventually old if we’re lucky. The song lyrics for Silent Skies’ Dormant are full of those turning points. Tom Englund’s voice and words probe every corner of his life and psyche trying to identify where and who he’s been, where he’s going, and how he’s reached this place in his life. He honors listeners by sharing that journey.
His musical partner Vikram Shankar supplies the soundtrack for these meditations. His considered touch on piano, keyboards, and synthesizers color each mile of Englund’s inner voyage with melancholic shades. Even the album’s most hopeful moments, and they are ample, are alight with an undimmed sense of brittle victories.
“Construct” begins the collection. It sounds unvarnished and natural despite the synthesizers and keyboards. It has, as well, a strong sense of direction, but Silent Skies unfolds it at its own speed. You won’t hear any parallels with their contemporaries. Tom S. Englund’s vocal chops are the song’s heart and he conveys clearly thought-out sentiments with poetic grace that never over-reaches.
If “Construct” doesn’t make you an immediate believer, “New Life” will. It rips away any resistance you may have to the music following its opener thanks, in no small part, to Shankar’s emotionally piercing piano. It’s a beautiful, almost ornate blade that cuts through your defenses and skepticism. “Churches” has the same allure, though manifested in a different way. Englund’s voice reaches its fullest bloom yet with this performance.
“Just Above the Clouds” lives up to its ambitious title. This composition lifts listeners higher than any of its predecessors without relying on a single note of gimmickry or any pretentiousness. There’s a deeper focus on the vocals than previous tracks, but Shankar’s instrumental instincts are as sharp as ever.
The tandem dig even deeper with “Tides”. It is impossible to not be left a little slack-jawed by Englund’s writing skills and his ability to merge his ruminations with such an unusual musical backing. You will likely come away from Dormant a bit awe-struck by the emotional variety he achieves with his voice. It’s operating in a different realm here.
There are other nominal love songs included on the album, but by far the best track in this vein is “Light Up the Dark”. Englund writes about the source of his affection and devotion with clear eyes, never falling prey to hoary love song cliches, and crafts a masterpiece in miniature that you’ll want to return to again and again. He grounds it in the real world, as well, rather than some sappy romantic twaddle.
“The Last on Earth” has a haunted tone and the gravitas you’d expect for the album’s closer number, excepting the bonus tracks. It sounds written with a final curtain well in mind but doesn’t suffer in light of that. There’s no straining for profundity. Each of the three bonus tracks, all of them covers, are electrifying re-interpretations of the originals. “The Trooper”, however, is a stunning reformulation of the Iron Maiden classic that will leave you groping for superlatives. Silent Skies work like that. They comprehend the significance of our time on this earth, in this life, with artistry that few other acts can match.
Skyler Voss
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Eric Schroeder Releases Album
If you’ve ever heard the music of Eric Schroeder before, you already know that melodic sting is often the backbone of his heady rock sound, but in his latest release Turned on the Stereo, which was released this year everywhere quality indie-rock is sold and streamed, it plays as great a role as the lead vocal does. The guitar is the star in the title track of this LP, much as it guides the grooves of singles “Parting (No. 2)” and “Stayed the Same,” and whether you’re a six-string buff or not, it’s an element that will engage anyone who catches a glimpse of this album’s most powerful moments.
There’s a lot more to Turned on the Stereo than just gilded guitar tones; after all, when listening to songs like “Mother Said,” “The Kind of Wound That Never Heals,” “Plan For Me” and the juggernaut “Never Go Away,” everything from the percussion to the vocal harmony itself is presenting us with a different layer of emotion. There’s scarcely a juncture in this record where Schroeder doesn’t sound deeply invested in the narrative he’s trying to get across, which is something I could only wish to see among his mainstream competitors nowadays.
At the center of every song on this LP is the magnetizing melodicism of the leading man, which despite flexing some legit muscle in past releases bearing the Eric Schroeder name sounds much more relaxed and on-point in tracks like “Do Done Now,” “Claire’s Song” and “Easier Way to Go” than it ever did before. There’s no hesitation on the part of our leading man here; if anything, I’m not sure that he’s come across quite as confident in his performance as he does in a couple of this record’s most climactic fever pitches.
As far as the production quality is concerned, Turned on the Stereo is a superbly tight album that doesn’t leave us guessing how richly textured and full a song like the title track or “Never Go Away” might sound in a live capacity, which is undeniably a tough feat to pull off. It’s perhaps not as evenly mixed as The Crucifixion of Eric Schroeder was, but I don’t know that he was looking to go super-polished in this instance; there’s a certain authenticity that comes with filtering fresh material through a raw, unconventional sound, and that could be why this LP stings as hard as it does.
Though I just started exploring Eric Schroeder’s complete discography a little closer this April, I’ve come to appreciate his approach to songwriting all the more thanks to Turned on the Stereo, which I deem the most mature offering he has released thus far. Schroeder isn’t working with major label assets by any means here, but he’s nevertheless turning in something that feels wholly compelling and different from what his contemporaries are producing in this first half of 2024, and that alone makes it a worthwhile listen for anyone who demands organic quality in rock anymore. Top to bottom, this is a terrific listen for those who love indie riffs and smoldering lyrical emissions.
Sebastian Cole
Artist Spotlight
The Skinny Limbs Unveil Galactic Soundscape with ‘Mozart for Martians’ EP Premiere
The Skinny Limbs have unveiled their latest EP, “Mozart for Martians,” which consists of five stellar tracks that revolve around the complex universe of emotions accompanying a long-term relationship’s end. This EP’s celestial soundtrack for heartbreak, rejuvenation, and reflection seamlessly blends indie-pop with lo-fi vibes and Japanese pop influences, transcending musical genres.
This eclectic mix creates a vibrant tapestry of sound, drawing listeners into a realm that is both familiar and otherworldly. The raw vulnerability in each track reflects band member Max Knoth’s personal journey through love, loss, and life’s unpredictable twists.
Lead single “Too Little Too Late” is a gut-punching anthem that blends poignant lyrics with a sonic fusion of Japanese pop and indie elements, capturing the EP’s emotional core. Meanwhile, “To The Limit” offers a celestial blend of melodies and evocative lyrics, portraying the feelings of confusion and frustration that accompany life’s hurdles.
The EP’s sonic journey is completed by the unreleased gems, “Monday,” a jammy reflection of Max Knoth’s tumultuous breakup week, “I Know You Care,” an older track reborn, and “For So Long!,” a groovy exploration of confusion, patience, and the search for clarity.
Produced by Connor Robertson, Jake Rye, and The Skinny Limbs, and mastered by Mike Cervantes (known for his work with Dolly Parton and MisterWives), this EP is a masterful blend of heartfelt storytelling and musical innovation. The production quality is top-notch, and the EP’s 18-minute runtime provides a concise yet powerful journey that will leave listeners craving more.
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