Silverstein’s Sophomore LP is officially old enough to vape. So why not celebrate with a vinyl re-release? Everyone else seems to be waiting 20 years, but our Canadian post-hardcore stars say TO HELL WITH THAT, 18 YEARS IT IS!
As always, I won’t be providing a review of the music on this release (which is stellar btw), but instead the physical vinyl I received.
I’ve always respected Silverstein’s attention to sonic quality. When you see them live, the dudes are ALWAYS the tightest performers on the bill. It’s obvious they rehearse the hardest and invest in in-ear monitor technology to ensure the only sounds we hear are what we’re supposed to. So I was a bit surprised by the quality of this vinyl received. Like Shane says, “I wasn't asking for the world” … just a decent mix. There’s nothing terribly wrong with my black vinyl: it’s flat, it’s weighted well, but there’s just a lot of added noise/distortion throughout. It’s possible there isn’t much one can do for these 18-year-old albums that were recorded with iTunes and ear buds in mind, but I would have loved to have heard a re-mix / re-master to support this album’s beefy chugs. Ending Side A with “Discovering the Waterfront” instead of “Defend You” would have also leveled up this re-press tremendously. The title-track has a musical build-up reminiscent of classic rock ballads, where ‘70s-’80s producers would place such tracks at the end of each side.
My cut sounds and plays like a $26 new release, but if you’ve been meaning to round out your Silverstein collection, this re-press is a good opportunity to do so. There are five unique variants up for pre-order at https://found.ee/silverstein-waterfront, including classic black vinyl, Brown (via Urban Outfitters), Green (via Revolver), Green/Brown marble (via Craft Recordings), and Blue marble (via the band’s official store). I’m not going to lie, that blue marble would really bring out my eyes.
For a review on… The record that came out… afterrrrr this one (Arrivals & Departures), but
they re-released… last year…. 🤔 click here
