aaamusic | On 04, Jun 2010

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London, June 1st

Only in the UK there must be thousands of bands writing, rehearsing and playing songs. But few are the ones that not only record two albums but also achieve good quality in live performance like A Silent Film.

Last Tuesday at Borderline the Oxford band played some of their new songs and also some from their EP The City That Sleeps. Given the good reviews and achievements of the band in 2009 I expected a more crowded venue, nevertheless the people that came to see them enjoyed the show.

Their music sounds familiar and it follows the well-known style of British piano bands like Keane, Editors or even a little bit of Coldplay. Still, it seems they are searching for a more personal style by mixing genres like Indie rock and pop, and the influences of trendy sounds of electro-pop and post-rock, which are so popular these days. It’s a pleasure to hear a great voice like Robert Stevenson’s and prove that even without the help of studios and with little effects the vocals sound equally powerful and pitched. We found interesting material and a good use of the sequences, which seem to help the band sound bigger but without diminishing the power of the band itself. What we experienced was a walk through their songs, from the cheerful dance-type Driven by a Beating Heart, to the famous single You will leave a mark.

It did not feel like a completely new musical experience to me but the truth is that it was an entertaining show, reflecting hours of hard work dedicated to achieve great sound quality on stage.

I am pleased with they show of A Silent Film and I hope they keep working in their own style, because they already are doing a great job playing live.

Author: Maria F. Torres

Photos: Joel Knight