On Archive Material, Silverbacks Expand Even While Documenting Constrictive Times

The influences Silverbacks cite in the album’s press materials—Television, Neil Young, Weyes Blood, and Bradford Cox/Cate Le Bon collaboration Myths 004—serve as a concise summary of the give and take between the ‘70s New York rock ethos that Silverbacks first established on Fad, and the exploratory spirit that begins to bubble up on Archive Material. “Wear My Medals” occupies both ends of that spectrum, moving from breakneck post-punk into an atmospheric breakdown, palm-muted guitars taking a backseat to flute-like keys and Hanlon’s delicate vocal. Archive Material at large opts for a similar tack, spreading out in unexpected directions as it progresses. Mid-album instrumental interlude “Carshade” (a successor to Fad’s “Dud” and “Travel Lodge Punk”) is hazy and atonal, with layers of feathery Rhodes piano providing a bit of breathing room. The following track, “Central Tones,” delivers on its title with a rollercoaster of distinct guitar sounds, moving from a whammy-heavy melange of dream-pop and surf-rock into slashing arena-rock choruses and a spacey psych-rock bridge, missing only the kitchen sink. The light touch of “Econymo” evokes Thin Lizzy and Steely Dan alike, while Daniel O’Kelly’s “Nothing to Write Home About” vocal calls to mind both Cheekface-esque talk-singing and Animal Collective’s “My Girls.” And the Hanlon-led closer “I’m Wild” is equal parts Aldous Harding and Harvest-era Young. It’s as if Silverbacks have every card in the deck in their hands, and though their poker faces need work, they’re not ready to lay it all on the table just yet.

If there’s one card Silverbacks could stand to play more frequently, it’s Hanlon’s—the band noted upon the release of “Wear My Medals” that they “always set out while demoing to write ‘Emma Songs’—songs that we think will specifically work for Emma’s vocals,” but here, as on Fad, there are only a pair of them. Archive Material is awash with evidence of the band’s instrumental advancement, but they still have room to grow in terms of their vocal interplay. “Rolodex City” is one of a handful of tracks that leans in that multi-dimensional direction, with Daniel O’Kelly handling verses before Hanlon steps in for the hypnotic bridge: “Slide to the left and put your foot down,” they command in unison as the world crashes down around them.

Speaking of which: Archive Material does live up to its titular documentation of The Times, lyrically speaking. “A Job Worth Something” finds Daniel O’Kelly beating himself up (and relatably so!) for holding his made-up office job instead of helping people while he still can—i.e., while the planet’s still spinning. On the title track, he can’t help but observe, “What a time to be alive,” and he opens “Econymo” with the quip, “The decline of Western civilization / I read it on the back of a T-shirt.” “Wear My Medals” and “Central Tones” are sardonically dismissive of the empty glory of competitive success (“Bronze plate and a talking head / And I’m your hero,” Hanlon muses in the former), while “Nothing to Write Home About” expresses a tender skepticism about art’s ability to ease life amid catastrophe (“All the pop hits will cool your jets,” Hanlon sings). Whether all our efforts on this dying world will be for naught is an open question, but Silverbacks bear witness nonetheless on Archive Material, advancing their craft even as the ship sinks beneath their feet.

Scott Russell is Paste’s music editor and he’ll come up with something clever later. He’s on Twitter, if you’re into tweets: @pscottrussell.