Rocker (feedbot)
Platinum Member
The word ‘grey’ has plenty of negative connotations. Tarmac is grey, the sky is grey, depression is grey, porridge is grey, the mood is very much grey. Despite it being part of their name, ‘grey’ is the last colour you’d use to describe Greyhaven’s new record. Technically, it’s painting from the same palette as their previous work – but something is different. They’re painting with wider brushstrokes. The colours are textured and warm, it’s bright and vivid. It’s a masterpiece of technicolour misery.
Obviously, introductions are important. Leading into a discussion of Greyhaven’s new record by saying it’s great, shapes your opinions about it. It biases your perception. So we need the justification. You need to know what it’s doing so well, and why. So let’s start with the sound. If you haven’t sampled Greyhaven’s previous work, it might be best to describe it as post-hardcore with a side-serving of emo; an intriguing mixture of riffs, yelling and singing. The band are a four-piece, a trio of musicians with a vocalist, and they make a lot of noise. Their songs make the most of that setup, the guitars weave lead lines in and out, anchored by a thick bassline. It gives the music an unusual feel, making those writhing guitars exciting and unpredictable. Yet there’s something else. Imagine a hand being cupped around a match to stop it going out. That’s the something. It’s a level of care that makes the details shine and the album burn bright.
Greyhaven are a noisy band – you might think of them as similar to Pianos Become The Teeth or Touché Amore, but this album takes the sound in a different direction. It’s broader, the textures they’re playing with are softer and that makes it feel bigger and bolder. It’s also a more melodic record, more subtle, more emo – a mix of soft and hard which takes the sound closer to that of Letlive, Hail The Sun or even Pierce The Veil without a flair for the dramatic. It’s a mainstream sound but doesn’t compromise on bite. This is a deliberate choice and the album’s title tells you as much. The name ‘Keep It Quiet’ is an allusion to secrets, as if the band have just stumbled on something magical they want to share. Of course, this is a relative term. Indeed, it’s strange to use words like ‘subtle’ and ‘understated’ to describe an album that contains songs as raw as ‘Prelude: Evening Star’ or ‘From The Backseat Of A Moving Car’. Despite being coiled around serpentine guitar parts and screeching vocals, there’s a level of discipline and care that makes it feel quiet, restrained and deliberate – very different to the band’s angry, caustic 2022 album ‘This Bright And Beautiful World’, or even last year’s ‘Stereo Grief’ EP. It’s the difference between throwing a tantrum and throwing a tantrum toward something.
Listening back to the band’s discography you can’t help but wonder why – why does this sound so good? The answer is probably to do with producer, Will Putney, known for his work with Norma Jean and Better Lovers amongst many others. Obviously, he is responsible for the recording, the overall sound and the various choices that make the instruments sound so vivid. The guitars have a bite and twang, and the drums have a delightful timbre, the result of refinement rather than complete redefinition. It’s also implied that he has an active role in shaping the songs – he’s the sprinkle of magic that makes the record, the hand holding the match.
Just as an impressionist paints the idea of a subject, Brent Mills uses his voice to create shapes and images. His work offers different sounds and approaches, all of which glimmer with energy. Even if you’re familiar with the band’s work, you might not have believed they were capable of a song like ‘Burn A Miracle’, which uses his vocal hook in a way that’s surprising. By gently pressing different sounds, Mills shifts between ways of expression and also offers a chorus that’s catchy enough to hum. It was a great choice as a single. On the more thoughtful ‘Night In October’, he leans on different words for a different effect. Both songs feature big hooks, but it’s the way they’re expressed that is so powerful. Indeed, each song features really clever choices, like the way the vocals almost tumble into ‘Show Me Where You Are’, then stretch back out to catch your attention. Similarly, while ‘Shatter And Burst’ isn’t by any means a pop song, its chorus has a real hook and, as it appears early in the runtime, sets the tone for the whole album. On ‘Technicolor Blues’, the guitars are afforded time to quietly prepare a canvas. The result is that, when they switch to huge brush strokes, it gives the vocals a huge lift. It’s easily the album’s centrepiece, and the way the other songs flow around it shapes the whole experience.
Imagine strolling through an art exhibition. You pass different exhibits, all expressing the same idea but in different ways. Some breathtaking, some simple, all made with care. Side-by-side, you can see the spaces between them, how they complement each other, or how having one by the door affects how the light strikes it. You might notice how each of the eleven pieces express the central theme in different ways. You might notice the anxiety-inducing riff underpinning ‘Night In October’, or the space around ‘Diamond To Diamond’, or the way you think differently before you reach ‘Technicolor Blues’. As you leave, you’ll definitely ask for an open pass, it’s that kind of exhibition.
‘Keep It Quiet’ is as intimate and explosive as a secret.
IAN KENWORTHY
Obviously, introductions are important. Leading into a discussion of Greyhaven’s new record by saying it’s great, shapes your opinions about it. It biases your perception. So we need the justification. You need to know what it’s doing so well, and why. So let’s start with the sound. If you haven’t sampled Greyhaven’s previous work, it might be best to describe it as post-hardcore with a side-serving of emo; an intriguing mixture of riffs, yelling and singing. The band are a four-piece, a trio of musicians with a vocalist, and they make a lot of noise. Their songs make the most of that setup, the guitars weave lead lines in and out, anchored by a thick bassline. It gives the music an unusual feel, making those writhing guitars exciting and unpredictable. Yet there’s something else. Imagine a hand being cupped around a match to stop it going out. That’s the something. It’s a level of care that makes the details shine and the album burn bright.
Greyhaven are a noisy band – you might think of them as similar to Pianos Become The Teeth or Touché Amore, but this album takes the sound in a different direction. It’s broader, the textures they’re playing with are softer and that makes it feel bigger and bolder. It’s also a more melodic record, more subtle, more emo – a mix of soft and hard which takes the sound closer to that of Letlive, Hail The Sun or even Pierce The Veil without a flair for the dramatic. It’s a mainstream sound but doesn’t compromise on bite. This is a deliberate choice and the album’s title tells you as much. The name ‘Keep It Quiet’ is an allusion to secrets, as if the band have just stumbled on something magical they want to share. Of course, this is a relative term. Indeed, it’s strange to use words like ‘subtle’ and ‘understated’ to describe an album that contains songs as raw as ‘Prelude: Evening Star’ or ‘From The Backseat Of A Moving Car’. Despite being coiled around serpentine guitar parts and screeching vocals, there’s a level of discipline and care that makes it feel quiet, restrained and deliberate – very different to the band’s angry, caustic 2022 album ‘This Bright And Beautiful World’, or even last year’s ‘Stereo Grief’ EP. It’s the difference between throwing a tantrum and throwing a tantrum toward something.
Listening back to the band’s discography you can’t help but wonder why – why does this sound so good? The answer is probably to do with producer, Will Putney, known for his work with Norma Jean and Better Lovers amongst many others. Obviously, he is responsible for the recording, the overall sound and the various choices that make the instruments sound so vivid. The guitars have a bite and twang, and the drums have a delightful timbre, the result of refinement rather than complete redefinition. It’s also implied that he has an active role in shaping the songs – he’s the sprinkle of magic that makes the record, the hand holding the match.
Just as an impressionist paints the idea of a subject, Brent Mills uses his voice to create shapes and images. His work offers different sounds and approaches, all of which glimmer with energy. Even if you’re familiar with the band’s work, you might not have believed they were capable of a song like ‘Burn A Miracle’, which uses his vocal hook in a way that’s surprising. By gently pressing different sounds, Mills shifts between ways of expression and also offers a chorus that’s catchy enough to hum. It was a great choice as a single. On the more thoughtful ‘Night In October’, he leans on different words for a different effect. Both songs feature big hooks, but it’s the way they’re expressed that is so powerful. Indeed, each song features really clever choices, like the way the vocals almost tumble into ‘Show Me Where You Are’, then stretch back out to catch your attention. Similarly, while ‘Shatter And Burst’ isn’t by any means a pop song, its chorus has a real hook and, as it appears early in the runtime, sets the tone for the whole album. On ‘Technicolor Blues’, the guitars are afforded time to quietly prepare a canvas. The result is that, when they switch to huge brush strokes, it gives the vocals a huge lift. It’s easily the album’s centrepiece, and the way the other songs flow around it shapes the whole experience.
Imagine strolling through an art exhibition. You pass different exhibits, all expressing the same idea but in different ways. Some breathtaking, some simple, all made with care. Side-by-side, you can see the spaces between them, how they complement each other, or how having one by the door affects how the light strikes it. You might notice how each of the eleven pieces express the central theme in different ways. You might notice the anxiety-inducing riff underpinning ‘Night In October’, or the space around ‘Diamond To Diamond’, or the way you think differently before you reach ‘Technicolor Blues’. As you leave, you’ll definitely ask for an open pass, it’s that kind of exhibition.
‘Keep It Quiet’ is as intimate and explosive as a secret.
IAN KENWORTHY