"I can't wait...forever...& the days & the hours & the years keep turning in my mind...I've been waiting Forever."
These words written and sung by Harriet Wheeler of the Sundays (from the song "I Can't Wait") have also been echoing in my head these past 5 years. After a string of successful releases by the Sundays' fan-created competitor, The Cranberries (whom I've grown to despise with each passing album) and nothing from the English quartet, it's not hard to forgive the band's tardiness when they continue to put out excellent albums.
When I first heard their new single, "Summertime", I honestly thought I was hearing the Spice Girls. Harriet's distinctive voice is often blurred by the doubling of her vocal melody. Although this was initially distracting, I can freely admit that I like the song. I don't particularly like the Spice Girls for obvious reasons, but when it comes to Harriet Wheeler...it's safe to say I'd follow her to hell and back to hear her lovely English accent.
Despite the obvious differences between Static & Silence and its predacessors, there are hints of the old Sundays throughout this CD (mostly hidden between the guitar lines in songs like "She", "Another Flavour" and "So Much"). Their first release Reading Writing & Arithmetic was a peppy summer album, whereas their 2nd release, Blind was dark and wintery. Static & Silence is mixture of these two seasons filled with autumn-like love songs. I'm constantly reminded of the early to mid 70's, especially of the folk songs covered by Olivia Newton-John (yes I am a fan of ONJ even today).
Static & Silence uses a variety of instruments including violins, flutes, brass and keyboards which lend to this retro sound, even in songs like "When I'm Thinking About You" which immediately reminded me one of U2's most recent hits, "One". But with over 20 complete listens to this CD, I believe the most compelling song on this disc is the ballad, "Cry".
"& you're standing here beside me in a picture in a frame & your voice could never fade it's so familiar...things you said in my head every day...you gave me so much & now it's of the earth & it makes me cry...it can make me cry..."
Simple lyrics combine with heartwrenching harmonies & orchestration (etched with strings, hammond organ and acoustic guitar) that may not make you cry, but will certainly make you think you've just lost your best friend. It's this kind of emotional power that makes soundtracks so successful. I wouldn't doubt to see this on one in the near future.
Last but not forgotten is another great ballad (stuck at the very end of this CD) called "Monochrome". This song reminds me the most of the older Olivia Newton-John tunes, especially with the slide & acoustic guitar parts. It's simple love songs like this that make music worth listening to. Besides, it's nice to just sit back, relax and unwind once and awhile with a great album. Static & Silence is just that...a great album and a lot more.