On the tail of the last release, Antibloom, Silverstein are fresh with another album marking the second one this year. Pink Moon, released in September, blossoms with rage-fueled riffs and sharp vocals that croon and scream. The band has been hesitant about using the restraints of labels to box their music into a singular genre, so as is, fans are met with a deep variety of alternative styles and pop beats.
A haunting farewell pervades the opening, “I Love You but I Have to Let You Go.” The longing grows in the piano notes, the poetic melancholy transcending further into despair along with a twinge of hope as guitar quietly seeps into the background. It’s a minute and a half of sweet yet tormenting melodies that move with emotion.
Hellish and brimming with fire, “Negative Space,” blasts as the second track on Pink Moon. Lyrically, “Negative Space,” is chocked full of photographic metaphors. The chorus kicks with frustration and yearning and simple hooks, the music a racing brash breakdown. Rowdy screams cross between verses. The fading last line “Find me, in the negative space,” exhales the song in solitude. While not so heavy as to overpower the metal breakdowns and thick riffs, there is a subtle electronic beat pervading the background, just an added layer to the complexity of “Negative Space.”
“Drain The Blood,” which features Dayseeker follows. This gothic-romantic ode about bleeding for the sake of art feeds into the melodic emo styles of the early 2000s. Angst and prose collide while suspenseful tones and pummeling drumbeats agitate. Harsh hardcore screams intercede, and the devilish vocals rush into a quiet soliloquy for the bridge. The message of destroying to create isn’t lost. “Drain the Blood” sounds off as one of the most obvious emo bangers on the album.
Static reverb kicks “The Fatalist” into action. Nineties brashness with power-metal riffs electrifies into a skate-punk sound. This bold and antagonizing drum-driven anthem packs the heat. Each verse is a riveting build up to the crash of the chorus, riffs slamming and pulsating with blazing energy.
If there’s anything to take from “Widowmaker,” it’s tomorrow is never guaranteed and to live in the present. Musically and lyrically, this track is a badass philosophical meaning of epic measures slamming in your face like any good rock anthem. The chorus sings it all: “Time is but a widowmaker.” The song speeds like a ticking timebomb ready to explode, ultimately working a little too perfect with the message.
“Autopilot,” featuring Cassadee Pope jumps in as a competitive duet, both sides dueling to be heard. Pope’s bratty vocals spit fire against Shane Told’s airy lines. “Autopilot,” sings of a love grown old, a rolling with the punches sorta love bracing for an end that never seems to come. This pop-punk alumni collaboration is a match made in emo heaven. Both harmonies escalate and compete in a powerful finale.
The somber second to last track titled “Death Hold,” takes listeners down the dark rabbit hole of morbid desires. “Death Hold” screams of burned-out frustration and reckless abandon. Its messy and wild and full-throttle with passion, shown not only in the lyrics but in the raspy screams and heart-pounding beats.
“Dying Game,” feels like a farewell. This melodic ballad focuses on Told’s voice and the desperation hiding beneath the fury. Acoustic melodies and hazy shoegaze riffs add to the effect of slipping away, dreamy but final. This one doesn’t punch but instead leaves a mark in more subtle ways. It seeps beneath your skin and stays there like a record left playing in another room long after the party’s ended.
In conclusion, Pink Moon doesn’t lose all the hardcore elements fans love about Silverstein but serves as a nostalgic reminder of the 2000s pop-punk and metal scenes most of us grew up rocking out to. It’s candy for your ears, if that candy involves devilish croons and loud guitars. Pink Moon carries the spirit of new metal with the somber emotional tones of traditional emo.
Review by I’m Music Magazine Writer Alice Kearney
