David Cronin, the singer and figurehead for Louisville outfit Silver Tongues has a very strong set of lungs and it could be suggested he already knows it. ‘Black Kite’ the bands first album ‘ is never more than a moment away from Cronin belting out his next heartfelt wail. The opening track ‘Highways’ sets out the stall for what is to follow; echoing reverb drenched vocals and mainly acoustic instrumentation to match.
The album attempts to achieve the grand scale that The Antlers seem to have claimed as their mantle, and on the whole falls a just short. Another major influence would be Fleet Foxes and their brand of choral sing alongs and sweeping chorus lines. The album does have some real promise, mainly in the songs and passages that see the rest of the band emerging from the shadows of the vocalist. Tracks five and six, ‘Hope for’ and ‘Wet dog’, have some superb arrangement. The stand out track is ‘Broken Strings’, Cronin benefits from a more subtle approach and the Michael Stipe lilt to his voice is the finest example of the potential on show.
Two other songs deserve a mention as they are quite radical departures. The first single, ‘Ketchup’, is a swirling one minute forty five romp of thud and fuzz that is really just one long chorus. It is not an indication of how the band generally sounds but is a welcome shift in tempo. ‘Warsaw’ is the other track that pricks up the ears. Its ambitious for sure, but the looping synth sounds like the nineties news satire theme tune used for The Day Today and it’s hard to get past that thought, especially at over five minutes long.
Taken as a band trying to find a sound, ‘Black Kite’ has some pleasant moments. To get a feel if this band is worth an in-depth listen the title track from the album is a real indication of the Silver Tongues sound and is the best place to start. It is a ringing emotional ballad with a soaring vocal, that ultimately tests the listeners patience by being a little over wrought and stretched out.
Released October 25 2011 on Karate Body Records
Echo Rating (((???)))
Posted by Charles Bertie
