Silent Shout

The Knife has once again outdone itself

The electronic indie duo from Sweden The Knife, consisting of Karin Dreijer Andersson and her brother Olof Dreijer is known for its inclination to protest against the mainstream and unwillingness to contact with the media. Nevertheless, due its albums the band has gained a reputation of an inventive duo making unusual electronic pop music with a variety of audio effects and often sounding like experimental. The band is named quite aptly for the sounding of its songs is often harsh to the year having a lot of sharp edges. At the end of 2005 Jose Gonzalez made a cover of the group’s song Heartbeats, and the duo became known to a wider audience beyond Europe. The Knife’s third full length album Silent Shout is darker than its predecessor Deep Cuts having inherited its most non-standard moments of arrangement and melodies, and refined by new interesting details. The album consists of 11 tracks only, but they are all different from each other; generally faster dance songs take turn with fantastic psychedelic compositions, but each time the vocal line is presented in a special way. Original as always, The Knife has once again outdone itself and preserved the uniqueness of its music.

Silent Shout is balancing on the border between the reality and a dream

Though considered electropop, the music on Silent Shout is not easy to apprehend from the very first listening. The album starts with a monotonous basses of the title track, which is also a lead single, Silent Shout. As the song develops, the main melody is layered over the rhythm-giving basses, and due to the synths the music acquires a completely unearthly sounding. On a dreamily sad composition The Captain Karin whispers the words creating a tense expectation of a change, which happens on the following shouting song We Share Our Mothers Health with an impetuous rhythm and almost screaming vocals. The surrealistic track Na Na Na makes one smile due to the funny lyrics, though at first it is rather difficult to get the words over the electronnic sounding. On the song Marble House, romantic in its own way, both musicians are singing, and their voices join into a soft harmonious combination, that emphasizes the feeling that you are listening to a conversation of two people in love. The calmest song on Silent Shout is From Off To On, here the whispering vocals creates a special magic atmoshere of enternity and a dream. Irony appears on the lively track One Hit, The Knife is again full of emotions and vivacity, but this is not for long. The closer Still Light, telling of a patient looking at the white ceiling of a hospital, is performed with childich voices, making finally be sure that Silent Shout is balancing on the border between the reality and a dream.

Simultaneously calming and disturbing music

There are little groups making unusual music, and the Swedish duo refers to a narrower circle creating electronic music. Though The Knife avoids popularity and appearing in public, its music brings it fame, which it cannot deny. Its works can be bravely compared to the creations of legendary master of synths Jean Michele Jearre. Yet The Knife’s new album has the properties differing it from other electropop works. It is the playing done around Karin’s vocals, which are mostly hidden behind the electronic processing. There are times when the sonic background is brightened and the singer’s voice is clearly heard, producing an incredible effect of something penetrating and too realistic. All in all Silent Shout creates its own little world, luring and sometimes making keep one’s ears open. The Knife’s music can be simultaneously danceable and strange, calming and disturbing, but it leaves an impression of naturalness and integrity. As for the lyrics, the songs on the album are mutually connected with correlating themes and tell about day-to-day trifles and human habits. Harmonious and different from everything are acquainted with, The Knife’s new creation is going to help forget the daily cares and submerge into another world, mysterious and inimitable in all its manifestations.