The Silent League – “But You’ve Always Been the Caretaker”
Something in Construction Records
-out Jan 26
4 / 5
The Brooklyn septet’s third album is a grand, loosely conceptual affair. The opening, “WHEN STARS ATTACK!!” is the kind of intro that would put a smile on Wayne Coyne’s face (circa 1999); it is gorgeous and glorious, perhaps a bit overstated, but definitely in a good, operatic way. Why, then, do they devolve into “Yours Truly, 2095,” the following track? It seems all the great intentions should build into something better than mainstream pop chock with superfluous effects and annoying auto-tuned vocals. This is the biggest gripe on an album that otherwise delivers in a Flaming Lips 90s fashion; “There is a Caretaker in the Woods” and “Here’s a Star” help to round out the aforementioned stumble, and if you find time to sit down, then it’s probably a good time to take in the Silent League. For fans of calm, slightly introspective indie rock (“Yours Truly” excepted); recommended.
Listen to “When Stars Attack!!”: www.myspace.com/453173424