Silent Drive is another one of those great bands that mixes the tones of emo-indie rock with hard-edged guitars and drums of the hardcore, Tool-inspired metal sound. Made up of members from the short-lived band Ink Cartridge Funeral; Silent Drive have that wonderful style where the songs are all over the place and not just in verse/chorus/verse song structure, much like At the Drive-In or Mars Volta. These guys succeed in the delicate balance necessary to keep the emo kids as well as hard-core kids happy. The first song on the disc, "4/16" consists of emotional screams in the verses which transfer into powerful, melodic vocals for the chorus. Another track, "Banana Rejection" has a great singalong harmony which goes into a big, explosive break in the middle of the song. "Rooftops" was another mellow-turned-hard track with vocals that reminds a bit of Thrice.
The centerpiece track would have to be the spectacular "Broken Hearts Club." This slow and majestic beauty features a lovely-sounding piano which is joined by a dramatic, soulful guitar. My favorite track has to be "Davey Crockett," which is a strong, powerful, angry-sounding ballad with lyrics that I felt had totally spoken to me. The CD closes with the soothing, gem "Boyfriend Notes" which is almost like a grand lullaby that can escort you off to sleep with its "la-dee-da" closing vocals. Silent Drive has given us one of the years most impressive releases and I would certainly urge you to take it for a spin.
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