Silverchair are one of the most popular musical acts in their native Australia, but in the U.S. they’re still best known as the band of teenagers whose Nirvana-aping 1995 hit “Tomorrow” was one of the signs of grunge’s downfall.
Well, they’re no longer teenagers, and their fifth album, Young Modern, sounds nothing like Nirvana. The band’s musical evolution is perhaps inevitable, given the way that most people’s musical tastes change from age 15 to age 27, but it’s still admirable, especially seeing how generic their early music was.
But admirable ambition doesn’t always lead to success, and Modern, the band’s first album in five years, often sounds like it’s reaching too far. Frontman and songwriter Daniel Johns shies away from loud guitars and angsty lyrics in favor of layered, orchestral arrangements (courtesy of the legendary Van Dyke Parks) and flowery language. Parks’ presence conjures up the Beach Boys, but there are also strong hints of Queen, Pink Floyd (the epic, three-part “Those Thieving Birds”) and David Bowie (the fun, upbeat “Mind Reader”). Those are some heavy touchstones, and while the band occasionally succeed at crafting a unique, idiosyncratic sound, they more often just overextend themselves, ending up with a mess of excessive strings, pianos, harmonies and guitars. Their influences may be more upscale now, but the imitation still pales in comparison.
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Silverchair
Young Modern
** 1/2