Album Review: A Silent Film’s The City That Sleeps

The debut from Oxford-based alternative rock group A Silent Film has been long-anticipated since their 2007 EP, The Projectionist. Fleshed out in full, The City That Sleeps has given them enough leg room to branch out with their melody-heavy distinction. Their style is polished, relatable, and well-thought out – one that is interestingly not over-produced to the point where it’s so glittery its blinding. Might as well get it out of the way. We, for one, never claimed to not like shiny things. It’s the try-too-hards we have a beef with, and A Silent Film must have known that listeners deserve a little more than the standard.

Comparisons upon first listen will definitely veer towards Coldplay, if only a little less lofty and theatrical – which in this case is a good thing. Their lyrics, however poetic and packed with meaning, tend to get lost against the backdrop of such elaborate orchestrations. And by elaborate, they’re not so much that they’re impossible to listen to, it’s just that both play an equal role in the formation of the track. But both are so strong that – whether instrumental or spoken word – there is the desire to experience them both equally that together doesn’t always provide that option. But hey, that’s what multiple listens are for.

For example, the track “Thirteen Times the Strength” is beautiful, edgy, a bit harder than the rest of the songs on the albums. Its lyrics encompass . If there’s any song on the album that will be the deciding factor as to whether or not the four-piece band has the chops, it’s “One Wrong Door”. Which, if that doesn’t do it,  is followed immediately after by ”Firefly at My Window”, which should really tell you either way.

We could go on, but a sign of a good album with anyone is when each track is just a bit better than the last one you listened. But, with A Silent Film being not just anyone, they actually surprise as their album progresses, weaving modern with classic, paying respect to the phrase “nothing is new under the sun” by taking familiar components and making them fresh. They’re certainly setting the bar with this one.

A City That Sleeps is available on Amazon.com for $7.68.

Rating: 8/10

Track List
01. Driven by Their Beating Hearts
02. Sleeping Pills
03. You Will Leave A Mark
04. Thirteen Times The Strength
05. Julie June
06. One Wrong Door
07. Firefly At My Window
08. Lamplight
09. Feather White
10. Aurora