4.8 (5 votes)

Artist: The Classic Crime

Album: The Silver Cord

Label: Tooth & Nail

Release Date: 7/22/2008

Review By: Tyler Hess

1. The End
2. Just A Man
3. Grave Digging
4. The Way That You Are
5. 5805
6. Salt In The Snow
7. Abracadavers
8. RandR
9. God and Drugs
10. Medisin
11. The Ascent
12. Sing
13. Everything
14. Closer Than We Think
15. The Beginning

Have you ever gone a couple years without seeing a friend or family member? Suddenly, they are back in your life, yet they have matured. You recognize them, but they have grown up. Some like to decide to get all tattooed and pierced and change their clothes and the way they talk, while others are basically just a more developed version of themselves. The Classic Crime hasn’t really changed, they’ve just gotten much, much better. You know that whole sophomore slump thing that you hear about all the time because you probably are the one who says it all the time? This tendency generally has to do with a lack of time available for writing ever since going on tour full time to support the freshman release. The Silver Cord does not suffer from this and I will tell you why: they took time to write the album! Imagine that! Although I’m sure it bummed out many of their fans for all the time that these Seattleites took so long to retreat for the new album, I guarantee that it was worth it. If you liked their first full length release, Albatross, then let me assure you that this one is even better. The Classic Crime has learned to do what they do much better, the instrumentation is better, the lyrics are better and the vocals are better. What more could you ask for in a band?

While doing a run down of the songs, you’ll notice that they have 15 tracks on this album. Unless you are a punk band from the late 90’s, you usually don’t have this many songs on an album, and would think that two or three of these would be filler tracks. If you call anything on this album a filler then I am not so sure I can restrain my Hulk like anger. I will turn green, grow three times my normal size and I will eat your soul, only to regurgitate it. There are so many good songs on this album, which deals with their own real issues (rather than some imaginary topics that some prefer to write about), being honest with us with what they are going through. These are some young guys, learning what it is to live this life. I’ll quickly mention some of my personal favorites, though if you have other favorites I don’t blame you, there are just that many good ones. “The Way That You Are” is probably my favorite, as it deals with not letting others tell you who you are, but being yourself and not feeling worthless. 5805 goes back to their younger days as a band, when they were so full of energy, just a nice bit of reminiscing. I can already tell that I couldn’t possibly cover everything I like, but I have had “Salt in the Snow” stuck in my head all day long. The choruses throughout The Silver Cord feel like they belong, without it being unnatural or awkward. Honestly, I don’t know why you are still reading this review, when you clearly should be out either listening to the copy that you have or buying it.

There has been a lot of debate on this band, causing much frustration to the band members themselves. They don’t feel comfortable being labeled a Christian band, since some of the members aren’t of the faith, but lead singer Matt MacDonald most certainly is. Whatever you want to think about this, just let me tell you that the lyrics on this album have more encouraging and honest and even spiritual themes throughout than many bands who overtly claim to be Christian bands, so take that and do with it as you please.

10/10  (This is definitely one of my top albums of the year, leave your thoughts below)

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