Test SIlence is a Chapel Hill, NC solo artist who has released his debut EP A Matter of Perspective. It’s a true solo effort: he wrote, recorded, mixed and mastered the disc entirely by himself. He channeled the emotional energy from the loss of his father and 2020’s pandemic lockdown to create the six tracks.
He admits that “tonally, this record is a little all over the place,” as it reflected his life at the time. True: four of the tracks fit solidly under the “rock” category, while the other two are more synth-pop. Despite these differing styles, the album holds together very well. Each cut features a varied collection of synth sounds with plenty of tasty guitar work to satisfy the six-string riff hunger. The songs here are well-constructed. Each song has a few different sections with several moving from minor to major tonalities, giving the listener a destination. This is all backed up with solid production work and mixing. There’s nice use of dynamics and thoughtful highlighting of various parts as they support the arc of the track. The opening three songs are rock tracks with guitar riffs you can chew on. The title track opener recalls Fall Out Boy with the outro guitar solo reminiscent of late-‘80s solo Ozzy Osbourne. A smooth middle section offers a nice counterpoint. “538” switches between lighter acoustic and heavier electric guitar sections. During the heavy sections, Test Silence takes a lighter vocal approach, reaching for falsetto notes and offering a nice contrast. The piano-driven ending felt like a good Kings Of Leon track. Test Silence tunes down for the gritty “Other Side” with the light vocal touch again offering good contrast versus the crunch of the guitar riffs. The dark mood lifts a bit towards the end with a tonal shift towards major chords. The two synth-based tracks, “Let’s Get Away for a While” and “Drift Away” are next. “Get Away” is delightful new wave pop with sixteenth notes on the hi-hat, swooping synths and distorted guitar leads over the top. The occasional vocal harmonies add extra zip. “Drift Away'' starts with a clubby, trance-y feel with the synths playing a guitar-style riff. Actual guitars come back in earnest for the middle section with a killer riff that harkens back to Joe Perry’s glory days. Again, Test Silence lifts us with a major-chord ending, this time with some finger-tapping fretboard heroics. The closer “To Love Myself and Life Again” is moodier rock, a little more operatic and orchestrated, and features some moving string parts. The lyric may be his most personal, and he uses some purposefully out-of-tune patches to help bring his emotion to life. It’s a fine set closer. Test Silence says that he doesn’t know what his future projects will sound like, because he has wide musical influences. He’s done a terrific job integrating them on A Matter of Perspective, and producing an enjoyable listen. He’s excited for his future and so are we.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Critique/insightWe are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.
Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook
Archives
May 2024
|