Silk // Auralux // Mini Album Review

Silk is the new project of Belfast musician and self-tormenter Michael Smyth (Ex-Virgins) and current member of ‘Broncos’. It is a journey through the heart and mind of a man deep in self-expression, tossing it out into the world via the most obvious form to him, Shoegaze.

In a world filled with cookie-cutter bands, it was inevitable that Michael would choose the path less taken wth a genre that speaks to him and allows him to pour out his musical musings through a wall of fuzz and modulation that helps paint a sonic landscape so bright and powerful you simply cannot ignore it.

Now, I cannot lie, the gaze that is shoe is a gaze I do not frequent, so this is me stepping out of my comfort zone for sure, but once in a while, that is a good thing to do, as it pushes me to put on my big boy pants and take a musical beating occasionally.

As the opening tracks kick in, you know you are in for a sonic rollercoaster of sorts, with an ambient, laboured intro before the track fully embellishes as the drums and heavy, fuzz-laden tones kick in. Michael’s vocals soar over the jarring riffs and melodic lead work that carries throughout the track. One thing to note, as a solo project, it’s mighty impressive. I’ve known Michael for a few years, having seen him hit the scene many years ago in various bands, and I’ve rarely come across anyone else so driven. He seems to have an unquenchable thirst for the live scene, both as a musician and now as a promoter of other artists, as he tries to carve out space for bands and individuals like-minded with him.

The second track, ‘Clementine’, delivers a harder punch, with its immediate drive and force, delivered through slamming riffs, pummelling drum work, and a hefty melodic edge. The vibe overall takes me back to my youth when we had a raft of bands who sprouted out of the Grunge scene that took over the 90’s, when people desperately tried to find something that could tie them to the sonic wall of expression that exploded from Seattle, a new sound that was such a juxtaposition against the hair metal of the 80’s and almost a protestation againist it’s commercial appeal. Grunge and the multiple genres that have spawned a new generation of musicians that hated the very idea of success and broad appeal, but craved that underground, raw, visceral artistic expression that many would find abrasive and jarring. Tracks like ‘July’ just bring that all back to me and a generation of bands who worshipped Alice In Chains and The Smashing Pumpkins and wanted to be the bastard child of both.

Michael has created a collection of tracks that speak volumes, hit hard, and for those who fully appreciate the genre will no doubt envelop themselves in it with ease. For me, it’s still in a genre that I struggle to relate to. But one thing I can appreciate is when something is done well, and here we have a man who has thrown himself into creating a collection of songs that feed his soul. The dedication it takes to push a project such as this as a solo effort, to create from nothing a body of work that goes from thin air to something tangible, is truly remarkable. For all those who bathe in the gaze that is shoe, I tip my hat to thee. I am mightily impressed at what Michael has managed to put together here, it is a remarkable achievement by any standards that, in this day and age, with the music industry landscape getting evermore challenging, he has managed to navigate his way through it, band after band, wading those murky waters to raise his head above the tide and drop music of his own, on his terms.

Out now its all yours: Silk – Auralux (Spotify Link)

The album was available to pre-order from March 5th via https://silkband.bandcamp.com or https://www.blowtorchrecords.com on limited edition purple, gold, orange and white splatter vinyl (pressing of 200) or available on very limited edition CD via https://shorediverecords.bandcamp.com

Auralux Tracklist: 

Auralux

Clementine

July

Slide Away

August

Pleasures