Search - Silkworm :: Libertine

Silkworm's third full-length album finds this unique quartet further defining its sound and each of the three songwriters' voices. Bassist Tim Midgett and guitarists Joel Phelps and Andy Cohen individually and collectively contribute some of the best material they've ever created, and once again Steve Albini captures the band with the precision and clarity that is his strongest suit as an engineer. This sound and style, while not perfectly complimentary to every group Albini records, suit Silkworm beautifully. The bass and drums are captured with an attack that is more concussive and has a presence when the guitars ease back and the vocals take the forefront. The vocals--reflecting three distinct yet similar voices--and lyrics establish the definite focal point of Libertine, spoken and sung with varying degrees of seriousness but never lacking passion, no matter how casual the delivery. The guitars then fill in the remaining space (and there is a lot) with melodic phrases that often seem bent and jagged, and occasionally sound rambling, but are always relevant to the song. There is an edgy moodiness to much of the material that gives it a somber air, but Silkworm are not angst-ridden whiners; their voice is one of self-examination rather than self-pity. Libertine continues down the same path the band blazed on In the West, but the songwriting is a notch sharper and the recording is even closer to the sound of a live concert, where the real magic happens. --Adem Tepedelen