Album Review: Sons Of Silver - Runaway Emotions

There are certain artists who are singular, who you seldom hear anyone try to sound like, because doing so is to invite comparisons you will never live up to. Or, perhaps it's because some sounds are so idiosyncratic they can't be replicated on the regular. Bruce Springsteen is one of those people you often see listed as an influence, but don't often hear in the style of those who include his name. The Gaslight Anthem is one of the few times when the connection is obvious, and I think it may have worked against them more than anything after the initial surge of attention their debut album received.

When your sound is reminiscent, it's hard for the mind not to slip back to the memories of what we already know. Given how nostalgia works, and anything new having to dig through extra layers of time, it becomes a science of futility to seek what has already been found.

Sons Of Silver are in that boat, with this debut album evoking the memory of "The Rising" era Bruce Springsteen at nearly every turn. There are instances where an entire song's feel is borrowed, and other times when it's merely the vocal tone uttering a 'sha na na' that carries the haunting feeling of familiarity. In either event, what it means is that I cannot hear this record without thinking about Springsteen, "The Rising", and how much that record has grown in my esteem over these last few years.

Springsteen himself would never follow that record with anything that hit with the same impact. In fact, the only record of his I liked after that one was "Magic", which was a light-hearted romp through 60s pop, and not at all the weighty rock and roll that tugged on our hearts. Sons Of Silver are taking up a task too difficult for even The Boss, so how do they do?

That's a difficult question to answer, to be honest. They nail the tone of the album. There's a bit of darkness creeping in around the edges, but the melodic base stays in tact. The guitars have crunch, but pluck out nearly spy movie lines to keep our ears perked. The vocals are weary, but rarely rise to the gravelly roar Springsteen would punctuate his songs with. The writing is solid, but features a bit more repetition and nonsense syllables than the songwriter in me would ever allow myself to include.

Sometimes, it's the little details in songs that make all the difference. "Baby Hang On" is the most classic rock and roll bop of the album, but it's sung with a filter on the vocal, and that stops the chorus from being able to shine and stand out. It's a bit like putting a blanket over the speaker of a great pop song. You'll still hear the melody, but it will be flatter and duller than if we let the whole thing ring out. Those sorts of things need to be used with discretion, and for effect, and it goes too far here.

That song is followed by "Ghosts", which features a repetitive chorus that never feels melodic at all. Together, they form a low point in the middle of the record that turns it into an inverted bell curve. Perhaps we can consider it a roller coaster instead, where the momentum of the beginning has to be enough to carry it back up the next climb. I don't think it quite manages that feat, which is a shame.

The band has managed to build a great sound, and there are songs here to tell me they have it in them to make a great record, but this one isn't that. There are moments that could have been, but the record can't maintain that standard through the whole of its running time. With a bit more 'pep', a bit more focus, and some extra words to fill the spaces the vocals just make noise, I would be saying something different. This album is a nice little start to the year, but the potential was there for it to be more than that.

It took me two decades to fully appreciate "The Rising" for what it is. Maybe that leaves the door open for "Runaway Emotions" to grow on me by the time this year ends. We'll have to wait and see.