The curdling of a very volatile mixing pot is currently located within the surfaces of the psychedelic garage scene, seeing Jack White giving a hand to the emergence of exciting New Orleans four-piece, Silver Synthetic.
Silver Synthetic explains itself, as the project, in which found frontman Chris Lyon deciding to be most appropriate to host the discography of a hefty pile of songs that were not appropriate for his past punk project, Bottomfeeders. With the addition of Pete Campanelli, formerly bassist in Jeff the Brotherhood and Kunal Prakash, Silver Synthetic found themselves already having a respectable portfolio of music. Well… at least this explains their debut track, ‘Out of Darkness’ being released with Jack Whites seal of approval, coming in the form of his record label- Third Man Records LLC.
The groups self-titled debut presents itself as a shimmering light, handsomely reflecting the signature tones of the 60s and 70s. The album hosts a project tarnished with the matte complexion made famous by the underlying scratchiness and shimmering Fender guitar tones, reminiscent of artists such as Eric Clapton and Big Brother and The Holding Family. There is no doubt within the makeup of this album there is definitely hints of a country influence that wafts through the album, a track to track, such as ‘In The Beginning’ and ‘Unchain Your Heart’. These tracks strike as an ode to clear blue skies and crisp cold summer breezes all set to sparkle within the confines of an album, set to fizz like a can of elderflower and burdock.
Each track has the same genetic coding, and it is certainly obvious there is a definite relation, however they are all different and these differences are what prevents the album from becoming dry. Each track harnesses different feelings from the listener. I found that the track ‘Some of What You Want’ to hold a capsule of the 70s through its surface level guitar lick that at first listen holds itself similar to the musical timbre of T-Rex. It is important to note, Silver Synthetic struggle to conjure enough strength to break any musical boundaries or to challenge the norm of any specific style. The album is a photograph collection that displays the smooth and at times scratchy sounds of the 60s and 70s with hints of country and reverb that can be seen used in the same light as indie collective such as Silver Jews and Mac Demarco.
This album offers its listeners a path to stroll down the prettiest hills their mind has to offer, as well as being given the direction to embark upon a journey that is vastly different form one in each track to another. The track ‘Chasm Killer’ is a listen that offers a very lucid experience, the bass slowly plods on with accompaniment from the guitar which gives the whole journey windows.
When listening through the album, the structure is crafted in a way that gifts each track its own sort of energy, that combines to present itself as a very strong and exciting debut album.
