SILVERSTEIN return with their fifth album ‘Rescue‘ and after leaving their long time home of Victory Records, this is the first full-length release for the band through Hopeless Records. Silverstein are a band whose sound has generally stayed the same throughout their career, but will the change in label also lead to a change in sound?
The answer: sort of. There is no doubt that this is, for the most part, a really fun listen. The screams are still there, as are the metal guitars and the typical ’emo’ lyrics and bridges, but the album as a whole has a lot more of a pop sound to it. With that said, this is still very obviously Silverstein; none of the tracks would sound out of place on ‘When Broken is Easily Fixed’ or ‘Discovering the Waterfront’. This is a good thing and a bad thing. Silverstein have not tried anything radically new, relying on a tried and tested sound that isn’t a disappointment, but nor does it make the listener think ‘wow’.
‘Rescue‘ is a solid, enjoyable effort from a band who know what they want to do and do it well. It isn’t going to bring any new fans into the fold but it certainly won’t alienate older fans, either. With ‘Rescue‘, Silverstein have a fun, well-made albeit unspectacular record.
HENRY McCAUGHTRIE