Tides have undergone a number of changes since we last heard from them on 2005's Resurface. Most notably, the band has added a second guitar player in Tim Fickeisen and they've picked up and moved from rural upstate New York for the metropolis of Boston. And even with those dramatic changes, Tides remain a focused rock outfit playing airy instrumental post-rock music.
From Silence is comprised of three tracks, but when you listen to the album you really can't tell because the songs flow together as one. One listen to "The Sight" and its obvious that the band has grown as songwriters and thus refined their sound; the music is much more fluid and the transitions between the different segments are crisper. It also appears that the band has moved away from the direction of Isis (for the most part) and towards Explosions in the Sky - less distortion and more intricate melodies. This directional change will no doubt be accented by the presence of a second guitar in a live setting. "Unveiled" is bit more ambiguous as it is mainly comprised of swirling background noises/electronics and some droney guitar riffs. The closer, "In Their Arms," is more of the sinuous sounds heard on the first track, up until the mid-way point. It's at that point that things become volatile - the drumming increases drastically and the riffs become massive. The song ends up weaving around through different sequences before ending on an ambient vibe.
The layout and design of From Silence is pretty cool. It's made up of drawings of gears from the inside of clocks. Also, the production is top notch. Ethan Dussault did an excellent job - but then again he's worked on material for Cave In and On the Might of Princes, so that's to be expected. The best part is how the many layers of sound that make up Tides can all be heard simultaneously.
From Silence is a fantastic slice of extended play from the evolving musicians of Tides. My main criticism, however, is the lack of material. Twenty minutes from a post-rock group is like a two-song, three minute CD from a hardcore band.
