Beginning gently with the bouncing intro to “Sleeping Pills” Oxford’s A Silent Film set the tone for a confident, melodic debut album. The fact that the songs feature prominent piano and slip into minor keys from time to time will conjure up all manner of Coldplay and Keane comparisons but that’s hardly fair as they set about laying their own foundations.
Aside from the driving despair of “Thirteen Times the Strength” the stronger songs appear in the latter half of the album particularly with the triumvirate of “You Will Leave a Mark” with its dark, redemptive narrative of self-acceptance; the trilling, soaring gorgeousness of “Highest Regard” and the slow, articulate ebb of “Ghosts in the Water”.
There’s so much more at play here as the band search the human condition with a deftly inquisitive feel which is both filmic and literary. There’s enough drama and intrigue throughout to give the histrionic Muse a run for their money.
Perhaps in attaining this uplifting sound they find themselves too often at quite an emotional depth and it’d be something to throw caution to the wind and lift the mood occasionally but as a demonstration of lush, assured and aspirational songwriting this is a fantastic opening salvo.
www.myspace.com/asilentfilm
www.mekongdelta.co.uk
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