Review
Every Silver Lining Has A Cloud
Self Titled

Projekt (2011) Jon E.

Every Silver Lining Has A Cloud – Self Titled cover artwork
Every Silver Lining Has A Cloud – Self Titled — Projekt, 2011

This French band may have one of the longer band names in recent memory. Let us gloss over this even though through the ever accurate Wikipedia it may refer to a Julian Schnabel record. This band focuses on a slight version of the general post rock template. While most bands tend to forgo vocals and play the line by making the soft parts crescendo in loud near metallic waves.

The band open with a simple vocal line a light glockenspiel leading into lightly distorted guitars. The guitars take the lead allowing for some simple cymbal work. All of these things play on the idea of being quiet rather than depending on a overly loud crescendo to make the song move forward. This is a rather smart move that tends to repeat quite a bit throughout the record. This makes for each loud part to feel that much louder and let the vocals (yeah they have those) to breathe within the songs.

Overall the songs feel calm and rather simple. Which is another nice touch since most bands of this style can border on ridiculous by depending more on their technical chops rather than building songwriting chops instead. The overall calm mood helps the slightest guitar crunch feel positively mammoth.

The recording is very clean and clear which is very good for this particular record. The only complaint is the general feeling that some of the secondary percussive instruments (i.e. not drums) would be turned up so as to have a stronger overall effect rather than solely be lilting pieces of the bigger picture. The vocals are the other downside in the mix as at some points they could have been turned up so as to take the lead rather than only be used as a seemingly auxiliary instrument. What the listener receives in the end is a strong record by a band building it's sound and band dynamic overall.

6.8 / 10Jon E. • October 1, 2012

Every Silver Lining Has A Cloud – Self Titled cover artwork
Every Silver Lining Has A Cloud – Self Titled — Projekt, 2011

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