Altsounds - The Silent Years – Climb on My Back [Single]

On my first listen to 'Climb on My Back' by The Silent Years and with no prior knowledge of the band or their music at all I half-dismissed it as a bit predictable and a bit samey. But then by the third listen, I realized something quite special was going on.

'Climb On My Back' is a Dostoyevsky-referencing tale of marriage break-up and co-dependency delivered via an atmospheric alt-rock song. Josh Epstein delivers the verse in wavering FX-treated vocals before shouting the chorus (“Come on, come on, climb on my back”) infused with pained urgency and desperate need. Behind this is a dense, layered sound: half-triumphant, half-angst-ridden, and quietly epic. Mixing self-loathing from a singer in pain, quiet/loud guitars and great hooks, it reminded me of “Pablo Honey”-era Radiohead with a bit more US guitar-fuzz applied.

This Detroit band have been playing their trade since 2005 with a huge US underground buzz behind them but have made little impression in the UK as of yet. This might well change when this single and forthcoming album “Globe” (produced by Chris Cody whose previous credits include Arcade Fire and TV on the Radio) hit these shores.

You have been warned.