Earshot have a reputation for being a second-tier rock group. On the strength of two albums, the band delivered some solid singles like “Get Away” and “Wait,” but the songs were more indebted to sonic trends than willing to push into new territory, keeping Earshot from ascending to superstar status. The Silver Lining, the band’s first album in four years and their first since leaving Warner Bros., doesn’t do enough to change that impression. Frontman Wil Martin huffs and puffs with all his might, but only rarely does the album ignite.
Drowning in Pain
Many hard rock bands insist that while their music may be dark and angry, the songs are ultimately positive, finding the silver lining in all of life’s negativity. Cliché or not, it’s a common refrain of songwriters, and The Silver Lining means to be singer Wil Martin’s attempt to plow through pain to find transcendence. However, while Earshot incorporate aggressive guitar textures and pounding drums, the hooks aren’t potent enough to offer a respite from the songs’ grueling gloom. To extend the analogy, there is no silver lining on this album – just the heavy rain clouds that never let up.Melodrama Overload
As a frontman, Martin rarely fluctuates from clenched-teeth groans and agonized moans. In addition, he utilizes studio tricks to make his voice occasionally sound demonic, a rather lame attempt to appear edgy. Unfortunately, the theatrics don’t end there: On “Wasted,” a melodramatic character piece about celebrity decadence, Martin makes like a spoken-word poet during the verses, upping the cringe factor. Even on songs that are effective, like the album-closing “Go,” Martin drapes the material in aural gimmicks that fail to be atmospheric and are instead just distracting.Cribbing From Their Influences
On Earshot’s first two records, critics complained that Martin slavishly followed the musical stylings of Tool. The Silver Lining represents a more melodic approach to hard rock that moves away from alt-metal, but the sound remains derivative. “Go” builds to a rousing climax, but the chugging guitars mimic early Stone Temple Pilots. Meanwhile, “Don’t Hate Me” has the sort of arena-rock attitude that Velvet Revolver did to much greater success.One Loud Rocker After Another
It’s a standard approach with most rock bands these days to divide their albums between freewheeling hard rock songs and vulnerable ballads, a sometimes-calculated strategy to appeal to two very different audiences. The Silver Lining doesn’t stoop to such ploys, shooting out of the gate with a loud rocker and never letting up from there. But the problem with such an approach, of course, is that the songs become monotonous, and that’s especially true on The Silver Lining. In short doses, the album’s gnawing discontent might be cathartic, but taken as a whole, it gets dull quickly.Best Tracks:
“Sometimes”“Go”
Release date – August 26, 2008
