album review ! :3
silverstein - rescue (2011)
xxherlastwalkxx 10/19/2023
this album is kind of underrated. even shane (the band's vocalist) ranked rescue at only the ninth best record of the silverstein discography, saying "there was nothing coherent about it."[source] keep in mind, also, that this article was published before the release of the band's latest album, misery made me. while i do agree that it can feel more like "a collection of songs" than a cohesive album, i agree even more when he says that the songs themselves are "some of [silverstein's] best work ever." songs such as "medication," "forget your heart," "texas mickey" and "in memory of" are easily standout songs from the band's discography, and as the pathetic adolescent mess that i am, they mean a lot to me. which brings me to the most important part. this album is sad. like a lot sad. i know, i know, that's to be expected from such a band, but i think that sometimes in our attempts to be able to rationalize and justify our opinions we forget that art isn't so easily rationalized. for example, i do think the banana taped to a wall was awesome (shoutout to the kid that ate the thing, btw). but as much as you can try, you won't be able to get me to explain why i think that. because i don't know why. but that's ok. i don't need to have much of a reason to think the tape banana was cool, and i don't need to have much of a reason to think this album is awesome. hell, it's an emo album. it's not like emo is a genre known for being a particularly innovative genre anyway.
of course, as someone who created a website dedicated to my opinions, i have to be prepared to explain them. no, it's not the best album ever conceived, but the arrangements of "forget your heart" and "in memory of" are beautiful and the energy of "medication" and "intervention" makes for really captivating songs. and don't forget some of the lyrics. i mean come on. "there will be an angel weeping tears of blood that stain the earth below??" how emo can you get??? it's fantastic and i'm in love. one group of lyrics that stuck with me since the first listen and that means a lot to me is the last little verse in "medication:"
This silence of fear is not a way to be sincere (I'm afraid)
And it's a way to cope
A way to deal (I'm scared I can't be happy)
But not for me when I can't feel (I'm afraid)
The subtleties that make me want to (I'll never be okay)
Be alive and not a statue (I'm afraid)
Breathe the air
Be here to talk to (I'm scared I can't be happy)
I'm afraid (I'll never be the same)
ugh. it's so good. it's stuff like this that makes me feel inadequate as a writer. it's pretty simple but i feel like that's why it works. and the "be alive and not a statue" line is just so relatable. it's kind of like how all of my favorite characters from any media are all either made fun of as "robots who are unable to understand human feelings" or just genuinely are robots who are unable to understand human feelings. i don't care how much she's memed. rei ayanami is literally me.
i feel like this review is really unorganized, but honestly that portrays my thoughts about rescue pretty well. no, it's not the best album ever made, and certainly not the best silverstein album, but it's still some wonderful music that's able to be powerful and emotive despite its lackings as a larger album.
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