Who creates powerful blues-based rock in Coatesville, PA? Allow me to introduce Silver Sonic and their very first (and self-titled) EP. The brainchild of guitarist Josh Highfield and drummer Kyle Newlin, Silver Sonic is a means to create authentic, bluesy, pouring-straight-from-the-soul rock and roll; a goal they achieved, and surpassed, after becoming whole with vocalist Alicia Weisenberger and bassist Jim Kerak. Ready to be reminded what good, stripped down, deep-feeling, tastefully dirty and emotionally appealing rock can do? Let’s hit the highlights.
What we’re digging…
The EP kicks off with “Full Moon Fever,” and from the first descending riff of muddy, aggressive guitar, I’m immediately enamored by the soul, skill, and urgent purpose. Vocalist Alicia Weisenberger’s voice is perfect for the material – projecting confidence, vulnerability, and a hint of something evocative and sultry, it dramatically delivers each verse and soars effortlessly during the higher-register chorus. “Full Moon Fever” is one heck of a great song, and the kind of opener that commands one to keep listening. And so we shall.
“Child of the New Age” maintains the opener’s energy with its own dirty electric riff. Weisenberg’s voice is strong, and drummer Kyle Newlin’s drums provide a sturdy, stone-footed groove with quickly snapping snare rolls ending in dramatic cymbal crashes. And at 1:47, the guitar solo arrives; it’s a freely played but concise melodic section offering another leading voice to the song’s bleeding heart testimony.
“Dirty Road” begins with a big, boastful chord, and builds towards its patient, more relaxed riff. The chorus makes big proclamations with the band in solid rhythmic sync, pushed ever higher by Weisenberger’s assertive, galvanizing harmony. And after a slower guitar solo perhaps mimicking the speed of an exhausted heart, “Dirty Road” reaches its emotionally spent ending.
Album closer “Little Devil” thanks “Dirty Road” for its brevity, and figuratively states, “Hold my beer” with its dramatic buildup and confident, gritty chords. The chorus is a sky high harmony and an inarguable statement. And that echoey, lost-in-the-caverns guitar solo at about 3:34? Emotional stuff. It’s slow, deliberate, bending, aching, and more emotive than any instrument has any right to be. It’s a lament, a triumph, a brief residence in dark reflection, and the final feedback sustained voice carrying us to song’s end.
But is it good?
Sterile, overtly electronic, and emotionally anemic? Hell, no – this is an outpouring of human emotion, and done so with proper hands-on instrumentation and collective, impassioned purpose. Silver Sonic is a real band playing real music from a very real place – an expression of undiluted but concurrent penance, perspective, and unyielding purpose. Want to hear music that was made by people, by hand, and from the heart? Silver Sonic’s latest EP tells deeply felt human truths. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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BELOW: Listen to Silver Sonic and check them out on Spotify, Bandcamp, Facebook, and Instagram. Please support Silver Sonic by visiting the aforementioned platforms and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing their music. And, as always, thank you for supporting real music.
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