BLUE
SILENT SHOUT THE KNIFE
It’s not immediately apparent, but The Knife are a real emotional band. It’s not apparent because they’re an electronica - excuse me! IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) group, a genre that has its share of beautiful tracks (Aphex Twin’s “Fingerbib”, Boards of Canada’s “Roygbiv”), but the emotional that I’m referring to here is lyrical, so it’s only coincidental that The Knife are emotional and IDM. The Knife’s vocal delivery and lyrics can be anxious, fleeting, hopeful, definitely catchy - you can count on them to connect. It’s no surprise then that Jose Gonzales covered, and made famous, their 2003 single Hearbeats. They follow suite with Silent Shout, an a dark, dark album that’s also incredibly danceable (throw it in the mix at a club, it won’t feel out of place). Inspired by Charles Burn’s black and white graphic novel Black Hole, Silent Shout immediately smothers the listener with pulsating beats.
Don’t let the electronica/IDM tag fool you, this is an album you sit down and listen to first before moving to it. There are only two instances I can think of that a reverse order is acceptable, and that’s when We Share Our Mother’s Health and Like A Pen come on. Due to its conceptual nature, the song progression is smooth and timed for momentum. The best example of this happens between 6 minute nightmare The Captain and club friendly We Share Our Mother’s health. It’s safe to say you won’t get bored or tired of the album. All the beats and songs are varied enough for a possible entire listen-through. If you couldn’t sit through all of Music Has The Right to Children or Selected Ambient Works 85 - 92, give Silent Shout a chance.
WE SHARE OUR MOTHER'S HEALTH
9.0