The Beatles and Silverchair have a lot more in common than one might initially think. But before any of you go and get your panties in a bunch, by no means am I saying that Silverchair and The Beatles are equals in influence or of the same league when it comes to songwriting. What I am saying is that their careers have mirrored each other. Both artists came over from their respective countries at the budding of new musical waves - The Beatles from the U.K. at the forefront of rock and roll boy bands and Silverchair from Australia when alternative rock was taking over the mainstream. Both artists grew over the years, experimenting with their sound and venturing away from the music that brought their initial praise. And eventually, both bands completely reinvented themselves to deliver what many consider to be their finest albums yet - Let it Be for The Beatles and Young Modern for Silverchair.
Silverchair returns to the music world after a five-year absence with Young Modern, the band's fifth full-length effort. The album starts off with "Young Modern Station." If you were previously unaware of Silverchair's back catalog, this song would strike you as just another pop/rock song with electronic elements. But for those that have followed Silverchair over the years, the sound utilized by Daniel Johns and company on this opening number comes as a bit of a surprise. The edginess and roughness of Silverchair's past seems to be all but erased; in its place is an electro-pop number that prominently features collaborator Paul Mac. The first single, "Straight Lines," follows and further demonstrates the band's departure from their previous sound. Musically, the song is quite a solid number, which really showcases Johns' skills a songwriter. As of late he's been writing all the band's music on the piano, something that is quite obvious when listening to "Straight Lines." The hook of the chorus is infectious and demonstrates Johns' versatility as a vocalist - something that I never would have thought I'd by saying based on the work of his earlier years.
Silverchair continue to branch out with "If You Keep Losing Sleep." The playful nature and zaniness of the song is quite another surprise, not to mention the orchestral pieces that have been added. Oh and remember that reference I made to The Beatles earlier? Well, this song actually reminds me quite a bit of The Magical Mystery Tour. Go figure!
Young Modern does have its fair share of duller moments. "Reflections of a Sound" tones things down a tad to a more straightforward songwriting approach. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but the song kind of bores me. "Those Thieving Birds (Part 1)", "Strange Behaviour," and "Those Thieving Birds (Part 2)" make up a seven-minute number that ventures into a wide array of styles. While the first two segments reach awesome heights thanks to Mac's electronic implementations, the final piece kind of drags things out with its slowed pace and unfocused direction. "The Man That Knew Too Much" brings things back to the positive side with a similar playfulness to what was demonstrated on "If You Keep Losing Sleep."
"Mind Reader" features the hardest riff of the album yet, though by no means does it rival that on "Spawn Again" or songs of that ilk. Vocally, Johns has a Fred Schneider-like delivery going on for the verses, while the choruses are a whole other beast with catchy words and hand clapping. "Low" sees the band venture down an alt-country road thanks to the incorporation of pedal steel and twangy guitars. "Insomnia" evokes Queen to the fullest, while the closing number "All Across the World" seems to mash all the different elements that Silverchair experimented with on Young Modern into one package.
I have to admit, the first listen to Young Modern had been thrown quite a bit. I sure as heck wasn't expecting the end result that Johns and company put to tape. But after repeated listens, I must say that I am more than impressed with what Silverchair came up with. Young Modern is a pleasant pop/rock album that will go down as their most unique album, but also could be seen as their finest album by some fans and critics.
