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Here's the next record for the list of best shoegaze albums of
the year, folks. This new release from Silver Screen has
that distinct tone, that sense of being that instantly transports
me back to 1991. Less sonic wash and more pop, I can hear traces
of bands like The Darling Buds and Lightning Seeds
all over The Greatest Story Never Told. The songs are laid
back and far more relaxing than much of today's music, preferring
to lull the listener into a state of well-being than to jar them
into wakeful restlessness.
Closet musical genius Cris Miller is Silver Screen - he
writes the songs, plays the instruments, and produces the records.
His guitars jangle with just the perfect amount of trebly sparkle,
highly reminiscent of later Trashcan Sinatras and possibly
The Railway Children. Vini Reilly-style delays come
in and out all over the record, lending an air of ambience that
is rare to find mixed in with songs of such understated pop merit,
especially near the beginning of the record on songs like "Ahh
Ahh" and "Won't You Ever Know". "How Can We
End" introduces acoustic guitar (without copious amounts
of delay and chorus) into the mix, moving the shoegaze more into
the realms of dreampop, while retaining a very early 90's timbre.
The spirit of Slowdive comes to the head on "Like
A Winter Day", awash in thick pads of highly effected guitar
and light background drumming. "Something To Prove"
could just as easily be a track off of a Trashcan Sinatras record,
albeit with a more delicate vocal presence. Hammered dulcimer
creates some nice additional texture on "She Counts The Rain",
adding to the most sonically deep track on the record. "Girl
Like You" moves towards an almost electronic feel -becoming
obvious with its drum machine and very Ian Broudie-esque
vocal melodies and production style. The album wraps with "Tiny
Shards", an almost Syd Barrett style acoustic folk
number, cheery and full of shining mood.
The songs on The Greatest Story Never Told are almost
lackadaisical, more soothing creamy goodness than anything harsh
or challenging. Don't look here for distorted guitars or Kevin
Shields style sonic experimentation… instead settle back
with a nice beverage, turn down the lights, and allow yourself
to be transported to a faraway place of magic and calm and beauty.
-Embo Blake
Track Listing:
1. Ahh Ahh
2. Won't You Ever Know
3. How Can We End
4. Hello Friends
5. Like A Winter Day
6. All I Have
7. Something To Prove
8. She Counts The Rain
9. You Said
10. Rockinghorse Road
11. Girl Like You
12. Tiny Shards
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