Janskys - When Silence Speaks

by Adrian Huggins

published: 16 / 8 / 2013

Label: Sawayaka Sheffield
Format: CD

Gently confident and beautiful-sounding debut album from Sheffield-based band, the Janskys

Review

The Janskys hail from Sheffield, a city which seems to be endlessly churning out interesting bands and artists these days. Maybe it’s the ‘big little city’ vibe of the place but there is a huge amount going on there at the moment. The Janskys certainly, however, carry the torch for their native city with ‘When Silence Speaks’. The band confess that they desire to make music that really matters, that steps above, beyond and over the hype machine that comes with modern music these days, and I’d say they’ve managed this perfectly. There’s a gentle air of confidence about their sound. They craft the sort of music which fills the spaces perfectly but doesn’t crowd the musical sphere. Everything has a purpose, and there is a maturity about the band’s songs that carries through the entire album. ‘When Silence Speaks’ was recorded over a two year period, and this patience shines through. The album has a mellowness about throughout its first half, and on tracks like ‘After the Flood’ and ‘Motion Sickness’. It then picks up the pace a little halfway through with ‘Lost’ which has mild hints of the Stone Roses about it ,and ‘Been and Gone’ which sounds like it would sit nicely alongside R.E.M’s more obscure or dark moments. If you were to imagine a more down to earth version of Spiritualized, then you are part of the way there. The album ends with the sublime ‘Devil in Your Head’, which is a gorgeous and slow-paced number that builds and builds and to be honest you don’t really ever want it to ever end. Surely, a gem that will only be discovered by those worthy of it.

Track Listing:-

1 After the Flood
2 Tell Me
3 Head in the Sand
4 Motion Sickness
5 That Way
6 Interlude
7 Lost
8 Been and Gone
9 Brocco Bank
10 I Fall Down
11 Better Day
12 Devil in Your Head