Silverbacks Archive Material

When Silverbacks dropped their debut, Fad, they stood out from the post-punk revival crowd with a kinetic, needlelike sound filled with curveballs like haunting ambience and dancefloor grooves. On their second LP, the Dublin quintet’s strengths show no signs of waning. The kitchen sink approach remains just as enjoyable as ever, with tracks like Rolodex City sounding like The Clash covering Speaking in Tongues-era Talking Heads and Carshade blooming as an intriguing soundscape instrumental. Still, Silverbacks mostly excel with their out-and-out rockers. Wear My Medals, the best song here and with a great vocal by Emma Hanlon, brings the same crackling energy of earlier highlights like Just In The Band. Recycle Culture hits with a propulsive groove and sharp-as-knives guitar work. The group’s midtempo tracks do remain a weak point though, with songs like They Were Never Our People and Econymo passing by without much notice. But their closer I’m Wild is the exception, its loose, jamlike feel making for a chill conclusion. Archive Material is a strong release for fans of Fad or newcomers to Silverbacks, the type of album that feels like it’ll only get better with time.