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Silverstein – When Broken Is Easily Fixed

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by Melody Bot, Aug 20, 2018.

  1. Melody Bot

    Your friendly little forum bot. Staff Member

    This article has been imported from chorus.fm for discussion. All of the forum rules still apply.

    Looking back 15 years from Silverstein’s debut album is an interesting experiment, now knowing all of the great work they have put forth since. When Broken is Easily Fixed was a compilation of the band’s early EPs, Summer’s Stellar Gaze (2000) and When the Shadows Beam (2002), that were re-recorded for Victory Records under the tutelage of producer Justin Koop. The LP itself went on to sell over 200,000 units, far surpassing any expectations.

    I first discovered Silverstein when my college roommate told me I needed to check out this new band on Victory Records named after a children’s book author (Shel Silverstein). That first song he played for me was “Bleeds No More.” I was immediately drawn into the aggressiveness of the track, from the dual-guitar attack of Neil Boshart and Josh Bradford, to the carefully placed screams of Shane Told, the track just clicked. Then as I began to investigate the other songs on When Broken is Easily Fixed, I became drawn to songs such as “Red Light Pledge” and “Wish I Could Forget You,” each with their own personalities and intricate guitar work, precise drumming, and incredible hooks. I really appreciated what Silverstein was aiming for on this release, and I knew that this band in particular was going to do something great in their career.

    Turns out, I was pretty accurate with this assessment, as Discovering the Waterfront (2009) became one of my all-time favorite “screamo” records, if not an all-time favorite all-together. To truly appreciate When Broken is Easily Fixed, you need to understand that Silverstein were just scraping the surface of their potential as a band and artists. The hooks that they wrote on their debut record were strong, yet on their sophomore release, they blew all expectations for their band out of the water with a more cautious approach to the sing/scream dynamic and the overall improvement to their songwriting. Songs such as “Smile in Your Sleep” and “My Heroine” were songs that I wish I had written, as I was blown away by their polished sound that sounded better than I ever dreamed the band could become.

    Looking back to When Broken is Easily Fixed, you can hear these unique and fascinating “crumbs” and clues of what the band was going to be capable of when they met their full potential. Records such as Dead Reflection (2017) showcased exactly what would happen when the band was clicking on all cylinders, and reminded me why I fell in love with Silverstein in the first place. Some of these clues I am referencing are songs such as the opener, “Smashed Into Pieces,” remind me of the aggressiveness found in tracks such as Dead Reflection’s “Ghost” and “Retrograde.” Other “Easter eggs,” per se, found on their debut are songs like the title track and “The Weak and the Wounded” remind me a lot of the sheen found on A Shipwreck in the Sand’s “Vices” and “Born Dead.” The hardcore-styled songs of the “call and response” play off each other brilliantly, and are meant to engage a live audience right from the first note.

    For a band that was named after a child author that they adored as kids, they surely have matured into one of the more reliable artists in our scene by putting out album-after-album of brilliant material. Sure, there may have been some “growing pains” records in their discography such as Arrivals & Departures as well as Rescue, but if the band had not had the patience to learn from these experiences, we would not have seen amazing records that we adore such as A Shipwreck in the Sand and Dead Reflection. By looking back, we can learn a lot about who we were as people before, while still maintaining our “True North” of where we want to go moving forward. Silverstein is a band that have taken their lumps, but with each punch, they come back five times as strong with incredible records that will stand the test of time in our scene.

     
  2. JamesMichael

    Software Engineer Prestigious

    Solid nostalgic review. I think it's worth noting they did an excellent re-recording of Smashed Into Pieces in 2013:



    Only small thing is Discovering the Waterfront came out in 2005 not 2009.
     
  3. paythetab

    Chorus.FM Album Reviewer (Adam Grundy) Supporter

    Thanks, I'll make the edit
     
    JamesMichael likes this.
  4. theredline

    Trusted Supporter

    I remember spinning this one. l always thought the music was amazing but the vocals weren’t my favorite. They grated on me. He got substantially better on the albums after this one.
     
    paythetab likes this.
  5. johnnyferris

    Sic Parvis Magna Prestigious

    Can’t wait to see all the songs live later this year. A great debut by the band and Shane’s vocals certainly got better on subsequent releases
     
    paythetab likes this.
  6. Ska Senanake

    Trusted

    And let us never forget this hesrt warming rendition performed on American Idol. Oh the feels!

     
  7. CyberInferno

    Line below my username Supporter

    Same. The screams on this album actually hurt my ears. I never would have gotten into this band had they not progressed, and I’m very thankful they did. Silverstein songs help me get through the hard times for sure.
     
  8. punkzilla84

    Newbie

    Rescue is a banger! one of my fave Silverstein records.
     
  9. paythetab

    Chorus.FM Album Reviewer (Adam Grundy) Supporter

    Is it too late to also review Dead Reflection?
     
  10. theredline

    Trusted Supporter

    For real. I also feel the same about Sense Fail. OG vocal stuff did not do it for me but their later stuff is great. The last record is a banger!
     
  11. noxee

    Regular Prestigious

    Oh man this album used to get spun quite a bit when I was grinding in WoW way back in the day haha
     
    Jared Luttrell likes this.
  12. Jared Luttrell

    Regular

    The soundtrack to Stranglethorn Vale.
     
    noxee likes this.
  13. RiseAgainst379

    Regular

    There's no way DTW was released in 2009.