Silverchair - Diorama
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Free Music Notes for Diorama
Free Music Review: Breath taking, majestic; perfect...
Hit: 5 Stars
Silverchair have evolved dramatically since the bands early days. After winning a talent competition, Silverchair were signed to a record contract. Since then, they have release albums consisting of thick, chunky riffs, similar to bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, etc. However, on the last Silverchair album ("Neon Ballroom"), Silverchair fans started to gain a few into the immense and diverse vast musical landscape that the band members were capable of. The potential was there, however Daniel Johns and fellow band members stuck to a formula and it gained results. However, upon release of "Diorama", Silverchair dropped that formula, there full talent exposed and thus, musical genius was created.
The first song on this album is "Across the Night". I believe this song was a single. As the first song, this would have turned a lot of Silverchair fans expecting heavy, grunge riffs off. But its an amazingly, beautiful song. Majestic in every way. It feels as if you are being figuratively across the night; excuse the use of the title. Daniel Johns voice has matured and grown so much. The instrument structure here is breath taking and lyrically, the band has never been better. A great opening song. 5/5
The first single "The Greatest View" follows this. Heavy guitars start this song up before dropping down into a softer verse, followed up by a catchy, yet slightly poppy chorus. Good guitaring all throughout the song. An obvious choice for first single but definitely not the best song on the album. 4.5/5
Next is "Without You", another single. I used to skip this song a lot, just because I had heard it a lot. Its a nice song and though I can listen to it, to me, dynamically, its not there. 4/5
Next is the worst song on the album "World Upon Your Shoulders". There is no movement throughout the song and Daniel Johns sings in the same tone throughout. Its definitely an ambient song until it hits the chorus, where it gets heavier but its just lacking for me. Daniel Johns, though singing the same, still makes the chorus very uplifting. Also a weird choice in guitaring here. 2.8/5
Then comes "One Way Mule". Until I learnt to appreciate the full scope and beauty of this album, this, along with "The Lever" were possibly my favourite songs on the album. This is one of the grungier songs on the album. Full of thick, chunky riffs; Daniel Johns voice becomes deeper, though it soars, it soars in bass notes, which enhance the overall feel of the song. 4.25/5
"Tuna in the Brine" has a weak starting in my opinion. Usually, just listening to the starting makes me want to turn over but once the instruments kick in, the song is incredible; much more majestic. Daniel Johns voice is once again in top form. 4.8/5
"Too Much of Not Enough" has good lead in opening verse. But I feel it lacks in chorus. The chorus definitely has more punch than previous songs like "Across the Night", for example. But it is an ineffective chorus. However, once again Daniel Johns voice is amazing. This song takes some time to warm to but it is a very well written song, just lacking slightly in chorus. 4.2/5
"Luv Your Life" I used to skip all the time because I thought it was too poppy. But it is an amazing song. Very uplifting, very powerful. Perfect use of piano to add to the warm, melodic feel. Daniel Johns' half-scatted chorus full of "Do's" is immensely powerful and just adds to the scope and range of the song. It is obvious to see that he loves what he is doing. At 2:20 into the song comes a complete change up in music direction and once again the instruments and voice of Daniel Johns make this perfect before returning to the original structure. One of the greatest songs of the last 10 years. 5/5
"The Lever" is the other heavy song on the album. It takes about thirty seconds for it to begin. The guitars are effective and Daniel Johns once again reverts to his deeper voice. The chorus slows down yet the guitars are still as chunky and full as ever. Good song, though easily not the best. 4/5
"My Favourite Thing". An acoustic steel-string guitar starts this song up, followed in by Daniel Johns' voice which has been using the reverb technique. In this song the change up of chords just adds to the soft, half-depressing, sadistic, yet sarcastically uplifting feel of the song. And at one point, the guitars kick in, before dropping out and kicking back in. All these slight change ups have been though over carefully. Showing how much the band members have grown and matured. 5/5
The last song on this album is "After All These Years". Beautiful piano opens this song. The effect of the piano provokes though. Daniel Johns' voice is very powerful here. Almost standing out on its own, its melancholy, dramatically powerful at the same time. But the chorus is very uplifting, very powerful at the same time. It seems this song is the antitheist to depressing funeral music. The verses allow people to reflect while the chorus shows the good times, to reflect on those good times and forget about the bad times. Once again, grand, evocative lyrics are used throughout the song. An incredible song to cap out the album. 5/5
Do I think this is one of the greatest albums ever? Possible not, but I believe it is a landmark for Australian music. Do I think it is one of the most underrated albums of the last ten years? Definitely. Do I think it is one of the best albums since the year 2000? Once again, yes. With better marketing, this album could have been a huge success in both Europe and North America. I listen to a wide variety of music. Tool, A Perfect Circle, Iron Maiden, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Coheed & Cambria, The Mars Volta, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Incubus and Nirvana. Just to name a few of the more popular bands on my music list. My point is that this album is much better than anything Nirvana could have ever released and had it not been for bad marketing or the current pop/rap/hip-hop/dance craze, this album could have been huge. But with the current descend of good music, that will never be. A grand, majestically, underrated album.
Free Music Review: The most notable, and least noticed, album of all time...
Hit: 5 Stars
One of the first things to take note of whenever albums are labelled "revolutionary" or "essential" is the listening audience. Few grunge bands could get away with writing a mostly orchestral-pop album, let alone keep their audience intact. I myself listen to a lot of metal, and although this was before I grew into metal, I can't help but love such a gem.
The album opens with the incredibly infectious Across The Night. The orchestral parts are spectacular, and Daniel Johns' vocals complement the music perfectly. It eventually progresses into a speedier, determined piano part, with some wonderfully bright sustained notes by Dan. The song appears to end on a high, chordal note, but the violin seems to return ever so slightly, as if taking its well-deserved second bow onstage. 97/100 - the perfect opener.
The Greatest View's starting riff and chorus are a bit awkward. It grows on the listener, but it doesn't really paint as accurate a picture of the album as it should have. One addition I liked was the introduction of the trumpet playing the guitar riff the second time around. 90/100 - the contrast is weird, but appreciable.
Without You is brings Daniel's brighter vocal style into a template that doesn't have any of the angst of Ana's Song (Open Fire) or Miss You Love. The inspiring vocals work well, and the fantastic instrumental bit towards the end is brilliant, with an absolutely massive bass part. 95/100 - important, as it's both a rock song and very bright, and acts as a bit of a buffer for those who can't quite get into the band's new style.
World Upon Your Shoulders doesn't begin with as direct an introduction as other featured songs. It instead builds up the acoustic guitars and the soft-falsetto-style vocals into a bridge that is one of the best parts of the album. The flute sound injects a new sort of "idea" into the music after the second chorus, and the vocals and weird lyrics lead into a guitar section of pure melody. The song then lapses back into its previous, blissfully happy state. 87/100 - excellent bridge, but a bit too unquestioningly happy.
One Way Mule is the first pure rock song featured, and as only one of two on the album, nostalgists will treasure it. The loud verses and soft choruses contrast somewhat weirdly with each other, and the erratic, distorted guitar solo accentuates that further. It's not quite as bright as the rest of the album, like a more complex evolution of the songs on Frogstomp. 91/100 - likeable, but with a really weird guitar solo.
Tuna In The Brine is the most experimental song on the album. The mood drifts between a satisfaction-sort of happy to something a bit darker. The lyrics are excellent, and as per usual, so are the vocals - most particularly in the fantasy-like second verse. The acoustic bit pushes the song into a whole new level of brightness in its fourth quarter. An impressive technique in both this song and Across The Night is the sheer amount of flawless key-changes and accidental usage. They're almost undetectable, and their usage really seems to be one of the cornerstones of the album. When writing songs, few bands ever manage to stray out of key successfully, but here, it's worked. 98/100 - unsurpassed, and a huge album highlight.
Too Much Of Not Enough is some relief from the fantasy of the previous track. It remains quiet and fairly acoustic until its louder, more emotional chorus. 85/100 - all about contrast, and rather melodic.
Luv Your Life is another orchestral-pop highlight. The chorus introduction isn't big, and it leads subtlely into the infectious first verse. The orchestra isn't felt quite as much in this song - Daniel's vocals carry the melody even more so than usual, especially in the wordless post-chorus. Nonsense words like "du, du, dudududu" have never been so melodic and likeable - how that sections functions so well is beyond me. 95/100 - warm, melodic and bright as usual.
The Lever's incredibly strange intro leades into the heaviest track on the album, and it's more likeable than One Way Mule; there's no awkwardness in the contrast. When playing it live on Live At Faraway Stables, the band manages to pull its four minutes into eleven, with a really random story about drugs, studio recordings and strawberries in between. 94/100 - kind of funk-rockish, and blissfully heavy.
My Favourite Thing contains a lot of orchestra, but is probably the worst song on the album because it fails to make good use of the mood set by the acoustic guitars and vocals. 83/100 - promising, but overblown.
After All These Years isn't the type of album finish that you would expect from such an album with such maximalist, surrounding parts. It's a very direct piano/vocals song, with some backing vocals and violins towards the end (Asylum, from the Without You single, does this in a better style). A five-minute silence follows, and afterwards is a "hidden" track - a short piano instrumental in a stranger style than the rest of the song. PaulMac actually plays all the keyboard/piano parts on the album, perhaps a shadow of what came afterwards.
I can honestly say that this is an incredibly consistent and influential listen; and if you give it some thought, it'll be a rewarding experience. Despite all the metal that I listen to, I constantly remind myself how much I enjoy my favourite album. But if I'm feeling otherwise, I listen to Across The Night or Tuna In The Brine, and all my doubts disappear.
Free Music Review: Best cd ever
Hit: 5 Stars
I have already written an earlier review of this cd, but it didn't really capture the true feeling of the album. Now I'll try again."Across the Night"-This song is one of the best songs I've ever heard and is a great way to open up the album. The first thing you'll notice about it is that it doesn't resemble ANYTHING they've done thus far, and it captures you from the beginning and opens you up to this new world of music they've created. Just awesome. 10/10.
"The Greatest View"-This was their first single off this album, although they haven't seen fit to release any singles in America, something I'm still confused about. For people here in the States who haven't heard the album yet, I think it would be a hit. Anyway, this song opens up with some cool guitar riffs and then builds with some trumpets, then calms back down into something that further shows their musical talents and how they blend so well with their orchestral arrangements. 9/10.
"Without You"-This song has a sort of "rolling" feel to it, and shows off Daniel Johns' vocal talents. It also builds nicely at the end. 8/10.
"World Upon Your Shoulders"-I particularly like how this track has Johns singing higher than he usually does, and he pulls it off nicely. The bridge is the definite high point in this song and shows a little heaviness to it. One of my favorites. 9/10.
"One Way Mule"-This track interested me in that this has definite roots in their earlier, grungier sound. It seems like this one just didn't quite make it to Neon Ballroom and was used here, but it doesn't fit in well with the other songs. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though, and it just proves they can still rock with the best of them. 8/10.
"Tuna in the Brine"-Wow. How do I begin to describe this one? Well, for one thing, it changes styles and tempos several times throughout and with no real chorus to speak of. It brings back more of the orchestra which switches from a light-hearted, Disney-like sound (which is not an insult, but a compliment, if you ask me), then flows immediately into a more serious, epic sound that is very beautiful. The song has some many points that could be the impact of most other songs, but they keep giving more to you. This track should go down as one of the greatest songs ever written. Easily my favorite on the album. 10/10.
"Too Much of Not Enough"-It is very hard to follow-up on a song like the last one, but this one pulls it off nicely. It starts off kind of slow and starts to build, and then you hear the chorus, and the heavier elements of it are just excellent, and then it drops back down again. Pretty good stuff. 8/10.
"Luv Your Life"-This is one of the more romantic-sounding songs on the album, and the background voices and trumpets do nicely to blend with Johns' voice. The end of the song is awesome, and the only way to describe it is "grand." The final trumpets close it very well. 9/10.
"The Lever"-This is another one that portrays their grunge sound a little more, except unlike "One Way Mule," this one fits in pretty well with the other songs. Don't let the creepy beginning of the song throw you off, though. The guitar hook during the bridge just sounds really cool, and then Johns adds his voice to it, and it develops very well for the rest of the song. I really like this one. 10/10.
"My Favourite Thing"-Now is when the album starts to, sadly, come to a close. This is a great song to relax to, as it is very soothing to the ears. Every now and then in the song, they have thrown in some epic arrangement that is never too disruptive to the sound of the rest of the track, with a very cool ending. Pretty good stuff. 9/10.
"After All These Years"-This is the closer of the album, and it is just as perfect as a last song as "Across the Night" is as an intro. It shows Johns on piano rather than guitar and the strings work really well with his playing and his voice. It sounds like a nostalgic song for Johns, and you can almost feel him looking back in his past for this one. I really like this one and it is another of my favorites. 10/10.
Well, as you can see, I don't think there is one bad song on the entire album. In fact, every one of them is a masterpiece in its own right, and I don't think they can be compared to any bands ever again. I especially mean this for a prior reviewer who actually said they ripped of Smashing Pumpkins. In my opinion, this is the album the Pumpkins could never have, if only for Billy Corgans annoying, whiney voice, and nothing I've heard before even compares with this. Any REAL music fan should really check this out. It's a work of art that almost anyone can appreciate.
Free Music Review: Best album of 2002
Hit: 5 Stars
A couple months ago, I came across a review for "Diorama" on -of all sites - a wrestling site (which also featured columns on
music, videogames, etc.). The person who reviewed it compared it
to The Beatles' Sgt. Peppers in the sense that it was such a radical departure from their previous music. Apparently, I've been really out of touch with music for the past few years, because I didn't even realize Silverchair was still around, let alone putting out a fourth album (I didn't even know "Neon Ballroom" existed at the time I read the review). The last I heard of Silverchair was a song called "Cemetary", and after that, their popularity seemed to fade when all the boy bands and manufactured pop stars came into the picture. Anyway, I downloaded a couple songs ("Across the Night" and "The Greatest View") off Kazaa, and I was really intrigued. THIS is Silverchair? "Across the Night" in particular sounded unclassifyable (is that a word?) in terms of genre, but nonetheless, I was intrigued. So I went out, and bought the album. After a the first listen, I thought to myself, "Wow..they HAVE changed!" I immediately listened to the album again..and again..and after about 5 listens, I knew two things:
1) That "Diorama" is easily the best album of 2002
and
2) I'm now a HUGE Silverchair fan.
The experience opens up with "Across the Night", one of three tracks arranged by the legendary Van Dyke Parks (who worked with the Beach Boys on "Pet Sounds"). A fantastic track that pulls you in from the opening seconds, and makes you want to keep listening to hear what could be next.
The next track, "The Greatest View", was apparently the first single even though I never heard it played on the radio. It starts off with some heavy guitar chords, but turns into a soulful love song with an irrestibly catchy chorus.
"Without You", the second single (which again, I've never heard on the radio) is next. Another very catchy, powerful love song. Daniel Johns sounds eerily like Johnny Reznik (or whatever the Goo Goo Dolls frontman's name is) during the chorus, but in this case, it's not a bad thing.
Another feel good song, "World Upon Your Shoulders" follows. At this point, the album is "4 for 4" in terms of excellent songs.
The next track, "One Way Mule" is a departure from the "New Silverchair", and sounds more like the grunge infused Silverchair of the 90's. I suspect this was one of the first songs written for the album, perhaps leftover from the Neon Ballroom sessions. It's certainly not a bad song (in fact, I like it a lot), but it really doesn't fit in with the rest of the album.
The second half of the album so to speak kicks off with "Tuna in the Brine", my personal favorite song on the whole album. Like "Across the Night", this one has a lot of orchestral arrangements in the background. The song also changes tempo many times throughout. This song didn't grab me right away like "The Greatest View" or "World Upon Your Shoulders", but while the latter songs kind of stayed the same upon each listen, this one has so many layers, and like wine, gets better with age.
"Too Much of Not Enough" is similar to "World Upon.." in many ways, yet they sound nothing alike. Accoustic verses lead into a pretty heavy chorus, and a nice bridge in the middle leads to a heavy finish.
"Luv Your Life" is just a BEAUTIFUL song, and I fell in "luv" with it on the first listen. I believe this was the third single (even though the album just came out in August here in the states, it's been out since March in Australia, which explains all the singles released already). If I'm ever in a bad mood, or just stressed out, I listen to this song. This is the third song featuring Van Dyke Parks arrangements, although they're not quite as conspicuous on this track.
"The Lever" is the other "grungey" track on Diorama that doesn't really fit in much, but it's still an excellent song, and I'd rather have it on the album (despite not fitting in) than not have it. The French Horns (?) midway through are cool touch.
"My Favorite Thing" is a really slow, but beautiful song.
Finally, "After All These Years", which features Daniel Johns on piano rather than guitar. I think this was the recently released fourth single, which boggles my mind. I mean, it's a great way to close the album, but it just doesn't seem like something you'd hear on the radio.
And that's "Diorama". Basically, if you like GOOD music, you should buy this album. Anyone who still compares Silverchair to Nirvana needs to get out of their cave, and listen to Diorama. I love Nirvana as much as the next person, but after hearing this album (and Neon Ballroom, which I went out and bought a couple weeks after I bought Diorama) I would put Silverchair way over them.
Free Music Review: Diorama - Another World
Hit: 5 Stars
It has been tradition for every Silverchair album to evolve to a new musical level and the fourth offering from the Aussie band certainly doesn't disappoint. "Diorama" is a brilliant collage of Silverchair's pure rock trademarks, orchestral sounds and beautiful vocals and lyrics. The two lightest sounding tracks on the album are "Across The Night" and "Tuna In The Brine" which are both helped along by the Pro Musica Sydney Orchestra. "Across The Night" maintains its mellow sound, peaking in parts with guitar joining the orchestral sounds, while the lightness of "Tuna In The Brine" (the song which front-man Daniel Johns says is closest to him) is contradicted by lyrics like "Take another pill, tell another lie and lie amongst your lies..." The song also contains more haunting vocals, backed by more noticeable piano.
Being the first single released from the album, "The Greatest View," is comparatively basic but also has something extra, which adds to the guitar and bass intro. The instruments are used in just the right way to lead to and away from the chorus in this song, which is about being seen in the public eye.
"Without You," which was originally meant for the bands third album "Neon Ballroom" has an interesting, fairly fast paced but short intro. Ever changing tempos, which occur throughout the whole song, keep you interested, as do the lyrics, which are sung with immense feeling. Daniel Johns' voice carries you into the song and won't let you go until even after the strong guitar riff is over.
Arguably the two most beautiful tracks on "Diorama" are "My Favourite Thing" and "World Upon Your Shoulders" which begins slowly and quietly as if to clear your head for what's to come. It is a song to give you shivers with the first lines "All the bridges in the world won't save you, if there is no other side to cross to," lending sadness.
The lyrics in "My Favourite Thing" are somewhat uncharacteristic in the chorus ("You're my favourite thing. The one that I love so I'd die for your love") but they make the sadness of the song much stronger towards the end, where the song quiets down to the painful line "And I feel like letting go." The words are sung with smoother vocals that rise and fall in perfect time with the various instruments
"One Way Mule" is a more traditional rock track, which is reminiscent of previous Silverchair albums. It is heavier with a deeper bass sound and grittier guitar and vocals. Subtle mixing leads into a fast riff, followed by a sudden acoustic feel - this leaves you time to breathe - but not for long.
Although one of the calmer songs, "Too Much Of Not Enough" still has the trademark Silverchair feeling. The chorus picks up a grittier sound, which is layered with vocals that seem to blend in just the right places to add flavour to the song.
"Luv Your Life" may fool you with its soft vocals and sweet sounds but the lyrics don't reflect the way the music makes you feel. It takes away some of the anguish of sadder lines that are in true Silverchair fashion but the music reminds us how much they have evolved.
"The Lever" has an eerie opening, dominated by piano but it quickly changes to welcome a deeper and rougher sound with much more bass. Sections with higher sounding strings contrast brilliantly with this sound. The lyrics in this song are also more noticeable - "I'd catch you when you fall but you're falling all the time," is an example of a line that
would appeal to old-school Silverchair fans but also make new fans think. This song reminds that Silverchair are still an alternative rock band - just one with much more to offer.
The last track "After All These Years" opens with mid-tempo piano and is soon joined by vocals. Instrumentally, this song is fairly quiet and it is the vocals that give intensity.
This is undoubtedly one of the most innovative and interesting albums you'll hear. As Daniel Johns said of "Diorama", "I wanted to make an album that would carry people away to another place," - and with this aptly titled album, Silverchair truly have created another world open to anyone who's willing to listen.