soft-spoken prayers under candlelight

Today was one of those days, that's like, really really bad, but you detach yourself from it so that everything is ok, the sun is shining, hey, it's only life. You ever had those days? They make you feel bad about the detachment, for a start. And then it's like putting off a problem. And yea, well, anyway, read more here.

The Silent Type make beautiful music. I first discovered them through an immensely praising review on Drowned in Sound, which wrote about their music and its perfect suitability for the context in which is was released - the reviewer listened to it on the day of the London Bombings. The review was quite amazing, and obviously, I wanted to hear the band to see if they were worthy of such flattery. Well, I only ever downloaded Ink & Blood, but it was a fantastic song that has been on many of my mix-tapes, and then the other day I took a mood and decided to get more. Only got two others, but if you like male-female harmonies, folky indie music, and beauty, then you should enjoy it all. 'Oh John' reminds me so much of the band Anathallo, that it makes me wonder if The Silent Type are Christians as well. It just has that, sort of distinctive holy sound. Don't let that put you off though, since oftentimes that can be a beautiful sound.



The Silent Type

Ink & Blood
Oh John
Jus Primae Noctis

The lyrics for Ink & Blood are as follows:

Is it true if I wake up that this story I construct will eventually come undone and reveal its empty tongue, like all along, this ink and blood could just wear off? I'm a book wrote in reverse and with several pages torn. As you read, the plot gets worse, and the characters unlearn every virtue, all concern for the lovers that they've hurt, for all pain has been returned. So I'm keeping my eyes shut. No more pages will get cut. The few chapters not yet done will come. Don't rush these words along. The words will come.

You should invest time in listening to the music properly, and listening to the lyrics, since their poetry and beauty is a key feature of this music - although the music is beautiful enough on its own to survive without such words. I've no idea what the band's up to now - still taking a breather I guess - but their website is well broke, and thye've never been featured on Drowned in Sound since.

Notes on that summer / Notes on this music -

Listening to the songs now it is easy to see why the reviewer found so much meaning within the music. After a tragedy comes a search for meaning, a desperate attempt at finding the beautiful and patching up the mistakes. The Silent Type seem to reveal how, effortlessly. The secular sound is hopeful and beautiful. Listening to Nathan Altice's voice is like tip-toeing into a darkened room, lit up only ever-so-slightly, by the candles on the mantelpiece. You take a step in and you hear a soft voice. You look up and see your shadow flickering. You glance the other way and something catches your eye. It's Nathan, kneeling on the ground, praying. This is a prayer you want to listen to. It feels necessary to hear his soothing tones, his delicate way of speaking, his beautiful words. You want to have the meaning that you can hear in his voice. And so you stay. And then you put the songs on repeat, until you feel cleansed.