Musical Ramblings: Silverschair's reinvented sound

Silverchair
Young Modern


I loved Siliverchair growing up. Frogstomp and Freakshow were great discs. They were simple, but they rocked and that's what counted. When Neon Ballroom arrived, the album didn't please me and I thought the band was starting to focus on mellower, acoustic tunes rather than hooking me with what I wanted: rock.

Suffice to say, when Diorama came out, I passed on it and never even bothered giving it a listen. So when my bud and I were in the music store about a month ago and he yells out, “Silverchair has a new CD out? Awesome!” I shrugged it off, but then he listened to it and made me do the same. We then listened to this CD about five times that day and I ran out to get mine the next day.

What makes this disc so listenable? Well, for one thing, it's the surprising fact that this is actually Silverchair and you have to keep listening to it to see if you can pick anything that the band was known for in the past shows up here. Based on their old catalogue (minus Diorama) most people would have no clue, including myself.

Seriously, though, this CD is a blend of different styles of pop rock. I have to say it's a blend of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band meeting a Broadway musical with bits of David Bowie, Roy Orbison, Lou Reed and Elton John. Confusing? You bet! And let me tell you this: there is so much that is going on in each song, you're going to have to listen to it two or three times before you get it or even start to peel back the layers. It's really hard to describe the variety and the overwhelming scope of instrumental layering found on this release and I just think that you have to sample it to see what you're in for. Mind you, one song isn't a representation of the whole package.

Young Modern is available in the standard package or a deluxe version that comes with extended packaging and a DVD featuring the making of the album plus the video for “Straight Lines.” The DVD lasts only about 30 minutes (including the video) so don't get your hopes up for anything spectacular there.

The only disappointment with this release comes with the closing song, “All Across the World.” The music for it follows almost the same suit as the others but it has an accentuated orchestra section (think cheesy love theme in a chick flick during a ballroom dance) and it's match with Johnson's horrible vocal delivery. He hits a couple notes that I find totally unbearable (while my other friends don't mind it one bit). I skip the last song and go right back to the beginning most of the time.

The songs are epic masterpieces and I have to say this is probably one of the biggest surprise records for me in the last couple of years. As most bands get comfortable with their sound and put out the same style of records (which isn't a bad thing), some go the extra mile to reinvent and challenge themselves (and their existing fan base). I have no doubts that this release may take some Silverchair fans, slap them in the face and have them crying “sellouts” or “foul.” For this listener, it has made me return to a band that I used to be really into but now for a whole new reason: these boys can write a freakin' tune. If it weren't for the last song, this would be a perfect release for me.