SilverStein -
Discovering The Waterfront
Audio CD Released: August 16, 2005
(Included DVD 2 - Disc album)
Label: Victory Records
Genre: Pop-Punk
Anticipation Level: 7.5 (Out of 10)
...According to Victory Records this was one of the most anticipated sophomore albums this year, but I beg to differ.
Tracklisting
1. Your Sword Versus My Dagger
2. Smile in Your Sleep
3. Ides of March
4. Fist Wrapped in Blood
5. Discovering the Waterfront
6. Defend You
7. My Heroine
8. Always and Never
9. Already Dead
10. Three Hours Back
Song Overviews
1. Your Sword Versus My Dagger (2:59) - The first song to start off the album actually caught my attention when I was listening to samples. I loved the dual vocals during this song switching to low screams to melodic vocals to the chorus where you can hear much improved singing. The guitar follows a nice lead riff to the pop-punk power chords driving it through the chorus and even a small palm mutey break down feely thing during the last minute of the song. I loved this song to be honest... 9/10
2. Smile In Your Sleep (3:13) - Ahhh it's the first single. When I saw this video the song didn't impress me, I was like eh its silverstein. The video concept of the game "clue" was kind of cool though. The lyrics feel like they were written by a 10th grader who recently broke it up with a school hottie. I loved how the song dramatically got slower towards the last minute with another breakdown esque type interlude. Sometimes it takes the most basic lyrics to relate too in a song though... "and all the times you promised me that everything would work out in the end, you were gravely mistaken..." 7/10
3. Ides Of March (3:36) - After hearing the first two songs you'll either be saying UGHHH, or Ahhh... with anguish or relief. If you were expecting a slower, emotionally driven, Northstar type song here it is. The first two songs basically smack you on the upside of the head and all of a sudden its get suddenly slower. It speeds up in the chorus and the lyrics were journal like in this song. It was a beautiful song but for the reasons I couldn't really get into it because it wasn't well placed IMO, on the tracklisting. 7/10
4. Fist Wrapped In Blood (2:57) - I heard this song on purevolume before I got the album and thought it would be one of my favorites and I wasn't mistaken. A slow building up intro gets you ready for some of the best vocal work I have ever heard from this band. This could be one of there best songs with all the backing vocals and layered guitar work it went down very well. Once again where silverstein prevails is in its dual vocals perscription of almost a double sided conscience. Screams and Melody and sing-a-long like chorus. There were so many change ups and speed changes during this song that it kept be breathless. Even the outro was a goodie... 10/10
5. Discovering The Waterfront (4:45) - It's going to be very hard to relieve the tension that "Fist Wrapped In Blood" created but why follow it up with a ballad like song? Your screaming about getting "bound and gagged" in the song before this and now all of a sudden your slow dancing to "I wont forget you's!". I thought this song would of been ideal as the last song on the album as it was a real tear jerker (Okay not really.)Seriously though, the vocals alone are amazing/haunting, solid from start to finish. Then the harmonic like ending was beautiful. 8/10
6. Defend You (3:28) - The screams in this song are the perfect example of the improvement over "When Broken Isn't Easily Fixed". This song was another harder one on the album but it seems like as the songs get crunchier and louder the lyrics get clicher and clicher... 8/10
7. My Heroine (3:27) - A cool clean riff starts off in the beginning of this song. For a slower intro by them I thought this song was wonderful and had just the right amount of screaming with sprinkled emotion. This song hands down was a winner.. 10/10
8. Always and Never (3:49) - Wow the beginning of this song really surprised me, didn't sound like a song they would write at all. Great guitar intro, but a matter of fact the whole song rocked out. Sounds like a song that Funeral For a Friend would write and I loved how this sound was laid out from start to finish. The chorus was one of my favorites during the album...
Take it back to the streets
I'll start again
I'll never look back
I'll never look back, back
How do you feel it if
you don't feel anything
Don't have a heart attack
don't have a heart attack
But I won't stop you 10/10
9. Already Dead (3:17) - The song never really grabbed my attention. The vocals were relatively better but it felt like a cliche pop-punk song. It wasn't bad just wasn't anything to rock over about either. 6/10
10. Three Hours Back (3:34) - A great ending to an album. I was hoping that they would of jam packed the "up and go" songs and slow it down 'till the end but this was another great way to go. Another good song to end... with a catchy BASS riff. (8/10)
11. Call it Karma (4:14) - If I have my sources correct this song was a song thrown onto the album as a last second thing. I've seen Three Hours Back as the last song listed on some sites but I guess they added this. The song was a good song and it felt like it could of been written for "When Broken Isn't Easily Fixed" but was thrown onto this album. It was good nonetheless. 9/10
(I base my rating accordingly to the genre of Music, calm :) )
Overall: 4.5
Guitars: 4.5 [Dearly talented at times and some of the songs perfectly illustrate how good they really are.]
Bass: 4 [It's a pop-punk band you really cant expect much but actually it did what it came to do and in some songs it actually stood OUT!]
Drums: 3.5 [Nothing out of the line or crazy]
Vocals: 5 [It was such an improvement singing and screaming toned compared to anything before this. If it wasn't good it just got BETTER]
Tibits: Take it to the harsh crowd for anyone to know that a sophomore album is usually really, really bad, or really, really good. I always saw Silverstein as a wannabe band but I never thought they were bad. I thought they were smart taking screams and mixing them with pop-punky music which is what alot of bands have been doing as of the last few years. It seems like that a band tries to mislead its "pop-punk" title thinking its something bad by using screaming so scene kids and the not so intent listener thinks that a bad like silverstein or the Used is screamo or hardcore. This album in my opinion was a better produced value and better overall then "When broken isn't easily fixed". In terms of sound they sound mostly the same and lead the same routes since this band has begun. Fans of the first album should take up this one if they liked the first one. Songs still come with fast, hard, screams with melodic choruses (sing-a-longs) and other songs come with the slow melodic harmonic feeling. I didn't look into the DVD enough to gauge an opinion but come on I got this CD for $9.99 and I wouldn't care if they filmed themselves eatting Sushi for the dvd, the album was amazing. I took this album after I got it recommended to me and I advise you to do the same but if this is the first time you ever heard the band buy the first album first.
