THIS SILENT FOREST-INDIVISION.

dereksmusicblog ♦ October 10, 2013 ♦ Leave a comment

THIS SILENT FOREST-INDIVISION.

This Silent Forest aren’t like most bands. No. They’re almost like two bands rolled into one. As a four piece, their music is best described as post-rock. Then when This Silent Forest becomes a sextet, they’re transformed. Harmonies and strings add an ethereal beauty to This Silent Forest’s music, That’s why for the last few years, This Silent Forest have been winning friends and influencing people. This includes music lovers and critics. They’ve watched as This Silent Forest have developed into one of Scotland’s hottest band. Only one thing was missing from This Silent Forest’s CV, an album. Not any more. 

This omission has been rectified with the recent release of Indivision, This Silent Forest’s debut album. Released to critical acclaim, it’s obvious that the last four years have been well spent. These four yours have seen This Silent Forest striving to perfect and hone their sound. Listening to Indivision, this has been time well spent. Indivision features a tight, talented band, who seamlessly fuse indie rock and folk. Hooks and anthems haven’t been rationed on the Indivision’s eight tracks. Far from There’s a cornucopia of hooks on Indivision, which showcases This Silent Forest, whose career I’ll tell you about.

It was in Glasgow, back in 2009, that This Silent Forest were formed. The lineup of This Silent Forest consisted of lead vocalist and guitarist Graeme McDonald, lead guitarist Jamie Sturt, bassist J.J. McGowan and drummer Ewan McDonald. When they become a sextet, Iona Bain on cello and Lesley McDonald join This Silent Forest. Just live several generations of Glsagow bands, This Silent Forest’s early years were spent touring venues around Glasgow and the west of Scotland. This was where they paid their dues and honed their sound. What was the equivalent of a musical apprenticeship, was paying of.

Soon, This Silent Forest were attracting a loyal band of music lovers. Even better, they were attracting the attention of the Scottish media. By then, they were playing further afield, and released the Lighter Side E.P. in February 2012. The Lighter Side E.P featured understated version of This Model Couple, Get In Line, Sorry Eyes and He Drinks Alone. Melancholy, ethereal and featuring articulate lyrics, This Silent Forest were seen as a band to watch.

Four months after the Lighter Side E.P, This Silent Forest released The Fight, an anthemic example of indie power rock. Of the three versions, the original version is an anthemic opus, while the acoustic version shows another side to not just the song, but This Silent Forest, whose reputation was growing.

During the summer of 2012, This Silent Forest were busy playing live. Their music was finding a wider audience. So as summer became autumn, This Silent Forest released Milk in September 2012. A thoughtful and emotive song, it demonstrates the band’s versatility and songwriting skills. After the release of Milk, people thought it was only a matter of time before This Silent Forest released their debut album. 

It wasn’t. Twelve months passed before This Silent Forest released Indivision. During that period, This Silent Forest divided their time between playing live and recording Indivision. Then on 30th September 2013, This Silent Forest released their debut album Indivision. Featuring eight tracks, Indivision was released to critical acclaim. You’ll realize why, when I tell you about Indivision.

We Are We Were opens Indivision. Just deliberate, pensive, chords are played on the piano while crystalline guitars delicately chime. They meander along thoughtfully, guitars weeping, as Graeme’s wistful vocal enters. He sounds not unlike Ricky Ross of Deacon Blue, on this country-tinged track. Rueful, tinged with regret and emotion he lays bare his soul. As he combines power and passion, cooing, heartfelt harmonies sweep in. Midway through the track, it’s all change. Searing guitars and pounding drums unite as this eight minute opus becomes an indie power rock anthem. Quite simply, a spellbinding way to open any album, never mind a debut album.

With Teenage Fanclub grunge guitars opening Give Me An Answer it’s obvious where the track is heading. A wall of grungey, power rock set the scene for Graeme’s feisty, sassy vocal. He asks, demands, pleads “Give Me An Answer,” before This Silent Forest’s rhythm section become an unstoppable musical juggernaut. Graeme’s not intimidated, delivering a vocal that’s equal parts power and emotion, as indie power rock and passion unite.

Drowning Man sees another change of style. There’s no let up in the emotion, as the drama increases. Drums pound and swathes of guitar accompany Graeme’s heartfelt vocal. Behind him, the band are at their tightest, fusing indie rock and folk. Then as harmonies accompany Graeme, This Silent Forest explode. Referencing everyone from Big Country, Glasvegas, Admiral Fallow, Frightened Rabbit and U2, they showcase not just their versatility, but how good they are as musicians. As for Graeme, he becomes an old-fashioned storyteller, breathing emotion, drama and hope into the lyrics.

The Arsonist is a tale of obsession and love gone badly wrong. You realize that from the lyric “if you don’t let me in, I’ll burn your house down” and later…”if you won’t let me in, I’ll kick your door in.” Crystalline guitars combine and drums set the scene for Graeme. His vocal is almost matter of fact, as he sings the lyrics. It’s as of he’s portraying a man whose desperate, with has nothing left, nor nowhere to go. Moving, disturbing and believable, it’s realistic portrayal of who love can turn to tragedy.

Get In Line originally featured on the Lighter Side E.P, released in February 2012. Again, This Silent Forest sound like Glasvegas. It’s not just the arrangement, but the vocal. Both Graeme and Glasvegas’ lead vocalist James Allan both have powerful, expressive voices, that bring life and meaning into lyrics. Proof of that is Get In Line. Against a hypnotic, pounding beat, Graeme’s vocal is needy, heartfelt and laden with emotion and drama. As the drums drop out, the strings and acoustic guitars provide the perfect replacement, before chiming guitars and pounding drums drive this anthem to its dramatic crescendo.

Hesitant drums and thoughtful guitars open Root To The Seed. It meanders mysteriously into being. You’re wondering what direction the track is heading, but know better than to second guess This Silent Forest? Gradually, the song unfolds and builds. Graeme’s vocal is wistful, memories coming flooding back. With singalong harmonies, spacious drums and chiming guitars for company, the vocal takes centre-stage, allowing you to focus on some of the best lyrics on the album. Then as the song heads towards its crescendo, This Silent Forest prove they’re practiced practitioners of indie rock.

Model Couple shows understated side of This Silent Forest. It’s featured on and is reminiscent of their debut E.P. the Lighter Side. This is no bad thing. Far from it. With just weeping guitars, pensive bass and an acoustic guitar accompanying Graeme his vocal takes centre stage. Then as his vocal drops out, the rest of the arrangement blossoms. Driven along by the rhythm section and crystalline guitars this provides the perfect backdrop for Graeme’s heart-wrenching vocal. Combing country, folk, indie rock and emotion, Model Couple features This Silent Forest at their anthemic and emotive best.

Winter which closes Indivision, meanders along, crystalline guitars and the rhythm section accompanying Graeme’s vocal. He delivers lyrics that are descriptive, with a strong narrative and paint evocative pictures. Graeme becomes a painter and storyteller, using his voice like an artist’s palette. Behind him chiming, screaming, fuzzy guitars are spayed around reflecting the drama and emotion during his vocal masterclass. 

Indivision is an old school debut album from This Silent Forrest. Just eight songs lasting forty-six minutes long, Indivision is album that’s reminiscent of the golden age of rock. Back then, before the birth of the CD, albums featured just eight to ten songs and were restricted by the amount of music a vinyl album could hold. Now with the advent of the CD, albums are sprawling affairs, with bands feeling obliged to fill the disc’s eighty minutes. Usually that’s a mistake. After all, how many bands have eighty minutes of quality music? Not many. Thankfully, bands like This Silent Forrest are realizing that. Nowadays, they’re only putting their best music on a disc. If that means the whole disc isn’t used, so be it. That seems to be This Silent Forrest’s attitude. Good for them.

That’s why Indivision is all killer and no filler. Each of the eight songs have one thing in common…quality. Over Indivision’s eight tracks, This Silent Forrest fuse indie power rock, folk and country. Anthems and hooks certainly haven’t been rationed. No. This Silent Forrest are practiced purveyors of anthems. They’re just as good at the more introspective songs. That’s why, in many ways, This Silent Forrest are two bands rolled into one. 

Whether it’s indie power rock or understated, introspective ethereal beauty you’re after, This Silent Forrest deliver it in spades and have been for several years. Indeed, since they released their debut E.P. the Lighter Side, This Silent Forrest have been a band with a big future. This Silent Forrest have fulfilled their potential on Indivision, their anthemic, introspective and hook-laden debut album. Standout Tracks: We Are We Were, Drowning Man, Arsonist and Model Couple. 

THIS SILENT FOREST-INDIVISION.