Silverstein - Dead Reflection (July 14, 2017) Album • Page 8

Review should be posted on the site on Monday

 

Aquamarine

 

Got my preorder today from Amazon. Found an interesting Easter egg in the liner notes.

Silvertooth lives

 

Following the Lead Singer Syndrome Podcast was a weird look into watching this unfold. Like at the beginning of the podcast he's pretty happy in the intros, then towards the middle eps he's notable more bummed, talking about the difficult time he's going through, sleeping at his folks place, etc.. Eventually he revealed the breakup and shortly after I stopped listening on a regular basis for completely separate reasons, but I feel bad in retrospect thinking of how that experience directly translated into the lyrics.

Anyways, starting my listen now. As a huge Silverstein fan, I'm digging it 1.5 songs in. Just as with the latest ETID album, they're definitely benefitting from switching up guitar tunings.

Edit: After first listen, I'd say this ranks about 4 or 5 in Silvestein's catalogue. The first 4 or 5 songs are really strong, the middle runs together a bit, and the last 2 rip. Really fun listen though and will be spinning it a bunch at the gym for sure.

 

This album is great! My favorite is Afterglow. I think the album is different enough so it doesn't sound like I Am Alive b-sides like some people said.

 

Album is phenomenal as expected. Of course I enjoy everything these guys do, but still. I love the production, there is a lot of variety, and Shane sounds incredible. Some of his most personal lyrics too. Going to be my gym album for a long time.

@Drew Beringer you weren't kidding about the closer. That is one of the best songs they have ever written.

 

Yeah the lyrics here are definitely personal. Also for a band that's always had some brutal lyrics visually with very little cursing it's funny to me to hear them throughout this album. Can definitely tell he stopped caring about being vague lol

 

Y'all ready for my hot take ranking:

1) When Broken Is Easily Fixed

2) Discovering The Waterfront
3) Rescue
4) Dead Reflection
5) A Shipwreck In The Sand
6) This Is How The Wind Shifts
7) Arrivals & Departures
8) I Am Alive In Everything I Touch
9) Short Songs

 

I can kinda see WBIEF as the highest for a couple reasons, but Rescue at #3?? haha

Separately, on the topic of Dead Reflection, 1-5 are awesome. Lost Positives might be the catchiest song they've released since SMIYS or MH, I can't stop listening to it. The heavier moments of the album are fantastic too.

Also Afterglow 100% sounds like an ADTR song off Homesick.

 

I think Rescue is underrated in their catalog but can also see why people don't like it because it had no cohesiveness but I love Texas Mickey and Forget Your Heart so much that it's up there for me as a favorite.


I love everyone single one of their albums but felt Rescue was very diverse and I Am Alive not diverse enough for me.

Afterglow really took me by surprise but I love it and how poppy Shane sounds in it

 

Oof

 

Honestly it's not even close between 1 and the others.

When Broken essentially shaped my (shitty) musical tastes

 

I got into them on that record so I understand the nostalgia, however they've gotten so much better!

 

My ranking is drastically different than that but I'd like to defend the high placement for rescue. I said it elsewhere too but that album has 3-4 of their best songs ever.

 

These guys are just super damn consistent. Jammed the entire thing at the gym again today. After a few listens, favorites are Mirror Box, Wake up, aquamarine, secrets safe, lost positives. Hell the only one that's meh to me is "cut and run" but it's by no means bad.

Shane's vocals are just so damn good on this. The different pitches, techniques, and styles all are there.

 

For consistency's sake I'd be hard pressed to choose b/w Silverstein and Bayside for who is more consistent

 

Am I the only one who absolutely loves Cut And Run? That chorus is so damn catchy.

Likewise, am I the only one who's least favorite track is Lost Positives?

 

Probably the two best examples (besides Rise Against) of a band who releases the same damn album over and over and over. Which is pretty much what you said, I just don't really consider it a positive thing.

 

Shane's screams on WBIF is a easy reason to understand its usual lower ranking, but if you give Shane an acoustic guitar with those songs and it's amazing.

Also that re-recording they did of Smashed Into Pieces from about 2013 is pretty damn good too.

 

Smashed Into Pieces is a really good song, but it's the only one from that album that I can even remember what it sounds like off the top of my head

 

Giving up is a classic

 

I went to one of Shane's River Oaks shows a couple months ago and he did Red Light Pledge, Giving Up, and Last Days of Summer (off request). They were amazing and transition so well acoustically.

 

Weak and the Wounded off Live at the El Mocambo is great.

 

After 2 listens, the first track on this is by far the best. The rest of the heavy stuff sounds too metalcore-y and the lighter stuff wasn't really doing it for me either. Maybe it'll grow though

 

YES! haha laughed by butt off when I noticed that.