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Two years ago, I named Jeniferever's Spring Tides my number one album, a decision I still stand by completely. It was one of those albums, for me, that happen once in a blue moon: it hit all the right notes both musically and emotionally and it also happened to have really good timing. I'm not sure I would have been in a place to appreciate Jeniferever's music if I had heard it at any other point but just then, in that perfect moment, it impacted me like nothing else. For this reason, it is a difficult, perhaps even impossible, album to top and with Silesia, Jeniferever have not quite done it. Though the songs range from four to nine minutes long, Silesia as a whole feels somewhat streamlined. Part of the appeal of Spring Tides were the instrumental breaks that slowly unfolded, building up layer by layer into these grand, cinematic soundscapes and Silesia is lacking in that department. This time, the band seems to be going for melody over atmosphere and while this isn't at all a bad thing in moderation, it's a bit disappointing in a song like "The Beat of Our Own Blood," which, though good, is a bit devoid of individuality. Still, when the album shines, it really shines. "Waifs & Strays" is another one of the catchier tracks but also remains distinctly Jeniferever in sound. The opening title track is truly stunning, vast and monumental in a three-dimensional way when much of the rest of the album sounds slightly two-dimensional. Closer "Hearths" is equally impressive though for opposite reasons; its restraint creates intensity from the inside out rather than the other way around. However, the true standout for me is actually one of the most straightforward songs they've ever written, "Where the Hills Fall Towards the Ocean." Lyrically very simple, the impact lies in the instrumental build-up and comedown, one of the few instances in which the heights of Spring Tides are reached, and in Kristofer Jönson's vocals. Though his voice could quite accurately be described with such adjectives as "nasal" and "whiny," it's somehow beautiful anyway. You can hear the emotion bleeding out as he sings and, ultimately, this is what holds Jeniferever's music together: the unfiltered intensity he instills in each and every word, whether he's whispering or wailing. Silesia may not be a masterpiece but most things aren't. It is a band doing what they do best; even when their efforts aren't fully successful, they're always fully genuine.
Dec. 22nd, 2011
Two years ago, I named Jeniferever's Spring Tides my number one album, a decision I still stand by completely. It was one of those albums, for me, that happen once in a blue moon: it hit all the right notes both musically and emotionally and it also happened to have really good timing. I'm not sure I would have been in a place to appreciate Jeniferever's music if I had heard it at any other point but just then, in that perfect moment, it impacted me like nothing else. For this reason, it is a difficult, perhaps even impossible, album to top and with Silesia, Jeniferever have not quite done it. Though the songs range from four to nine minutes long, Silesia as a whole feels somewhat streamlined. Part of the appeal of Spring Tides were the instrumental breaks that slowly unfolded, building up layer by layer into these grand, cinematic soundscapes and Silesia is lacking in that department. This time, the band seems to be going for melody over atmosphere and while this isn't at all a bad thing in moderation, it's a bit disappointing in a song like "The Beat of Our Own Blood," which, though good, is a bit devoid of individuality. Still, when the album shines, it really shines. "Waifs & Strays" is another one of the catchier tracks but also remains distinctly Jeniferever in sound. The opening title track is truly stunning, vast and monumental in a three-dimensional way when much of the rest of the album sounds slightly two-dimensional. Closer "Hearths" is equally impressive though for opposite reasons; its restraint creates intensity from the inside out rather than the other way around. However, the true standout for me is actually one of the most straightforward songs they've ever written, "Where the Hills Fall Towards the Ocean." Lyrically very simple, the impact lies in the instrumental build-up and comedown, one of the few instances in which the heights of Spring Tides are reached, and in Kristofer Jönson's vocals. Though his voice could quite accurately be described with such adjectives as "nasal" and "whiny," it's somehow beautiful anyway. You can hear the emotion bleeding out as he sings and, ultimately, this is what holds Jeniferever's music together: the unfiltered intensity he instills in each and every word, whether he's whispering or wailing. Silesia may not be a masterpiece but most things aren't. It is a band doing what they do best; even when their efforts aren't fully successful, they're always fully genuine.
