by Jeremy Bennett (@JeremyVBennett)
In the the past five years there has been a resurgence of Irish music not seen since the 1990s, when The Cranberries, The Corrs, Sinead O’ Connor, My Bloody Valentine, and U2 were gracing the covers of NME and ripping up pictures of pontiffs on TV. The current crop of post-punk leaning bands include The Murder Capitol, Gilla Band, and Fontaines D.C. Threatened to get lost in the gloomy sounds of their peers is Dublin-based Silverbacks, whose 2020 debut Fad hinted more at The Strokes than Joy Division. Two years later, the band takes a King Kong-sized leap forward on their follow-up album, Archive Material, by going further backwards in music history — adding more Television and Talking Heads vibes.
Right out of the gate, lead track “Archive Material” drops in some French ala “Psycho Killer” over Television guitars before transitioning into a world beat more reminiscent of solo David Byrne. Follow up single “A Job Worth Doing” sounds like Tom Verlaine fronting Modest Mouse. “Wear My Medals” is the first of two songs to feature bassist Emma Hanlon on lead vocals. It’s something that helps Silverbacks stand out from the current crowd of post-punk bands dominating the news. It also completes a killer three song start to the album and contains another musical reference to discerning listeners: “Hanging out on a single thread/Bronze plate and a talking head/And I'm your hero.”
The second half is where the band starts to sound more influenced by 90s indie than NYC art rock, and where Silverbacks start to expand their sound into something truly exciting. “Different Kind of Holiday” delivers some LCD Soundsystem funk, while “Carshade” continues the experimental instrumental break heard on Fad — and something the band could explore more on future releases. “Central Tones” adds some Pavement-esque slacker edges and “Nothing to Write Home About” bursts with Parquet Courts energy.
The standout track is “Econymo,” where the roles are reversed and Isaac Brock fronts Television. It’s also maybe the most political of the songs on Archive Material with seemingly obvious references to certain world leaders (“when everything is in Comic Sans/they put you on the news”) and Brexit-type policies (“that boy doesn’t have our work ethic/fuck up your life”). Hanlon returns on the final track, “I’m Wild,” which wouldn’t sound out of place on a Breeders record (think “Drivin’ on 9”). Like “Carshade,” Hanlon on lead vocals is something the band could lean on more.
Archive Material is a tidy 38 minute grab bag of influences that ultimately adds up to something unique. For a relatively short album, the individual songs often feel longer in the best way possible. The punchy front half of songs often morph and settle into extended grooves. In the landscape of dark and dour post-punk, it’s nice to have a band stop by, roll down the windows every now and then, and let some sunshine in.