Silverstein - Misery Made Me

Label: UNFD

Released: 6th May 2022

Rating: ★★★★

There’s always been something grand about Silverstein’s lyrical assertions – not that such ostentatiousness is such a bad thing. Few bands can deliver faintly ridiculous lines like “If my head stops spinning will my heart stop too” with such steadfast conviction – to the point where it’s possible to genuinely wonder if their lives depended on such claims.

Such all-in commitment has never been diluted, no matter how much the Canadian mainstays have tinkered at the edges of their sound. ‘Misery Made Me’ is no exception, seeing the quintet push their sound more than ever before – in part thanks to some excellent collaborations – but still delivering plenty to excite the masses.

‘Misery made me, nothing can break me’ they blast on opener ‘Our Song’, in one of those typically OTT lyrical pulls (again delivered with unwavering passion), but there’s no getting away from the fact that it’s a weapon’s grade earworm. Equally, ‘Don’t Wait Up’ – a song so massive it really could reach the clouds that they’re aiming for – possesses some of the most absurd lyrics of the year, with the brilliant/proper nonsense “I can’t hold myself together if I can’t feel my hands” a real standout.