Silver

Shining promise is always exciting to detect, particularly in the case of emerging bands including Raleigh-based Silver, live tonight at The Evening Muse in Charlotte.
Find this power trio striking into a rich vein of progressive rock with a sanctified Brit-core and classic metallic edge.

Band members — Patrick Downing, guitars/vocals; Brent Francese, drums; and John Enzor, bass — cite sound similarities to Kings of Leon, Muse, Radiohead and others. But, detectable traces of King's X and Rush run through this rich musical compound along with a worth-mentioning wisp of S.C.'s own needtobreathe.

Silver's recorded material so far is enticing with an alluring hard-to-categorize feel, but onstage the band's potential is much more manifest. One of the finalists in the recent 106.5 The End and Miller Light Music Series Battle of The Bands revealed Silver's ability to shine live with compelling strength.

It's that sort of experience as you're watching, jamming along, when suddenly something flashes, otherworldly forces kick in, the music gels, thrusting the band and all around them into another realm.
We long for just this sort of energy surge/reaction as a sound comes together. See them, feel the thrill, touch the quality of Silver, live tonight — along with up-and-coming No Second Troy from Washington, D.C. — at The Evening Muse, 3227 North Davidson Street, in Charlotte's NoDa Arts District. - The Herald - Rock Hill, SC

The thing about Silver that first caught my attention was that I could really imagine turning on the radio and hearing their songs”The Searching” or “Lay Me Down”. Their music creates vivid pictures, and for me, brought back memories - even though I’d never heard the songs before. The song “The Second Coming” reminded me of a scene from a movie - something involving a sunny suburban morning, and a run around the block.

Perhaps it’s chemistry. Pat Downing (lead vocals and guitar) and Brent Francese (drums) have known each other since attending high school together in Raleigh, NC. After meeting John Enzor (bass) and Ben Davis (guitar and vocals), their music finally started to take shape.

One thing seems unmistakable about Silver’s music - the strong, meaningful lyrics that anyone can relate to, no matter who you are or where you come from.

-Vanessa Fraser
SHOUT! Magazine - Shout! Online Magazine

Silver is Golden: N.C. State graduates rock

Laura Fausch

Senior Staff Writer
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Published: Monday, February 9, 2009

Updated: Monday, February 9, 2009
Image_01_Silver

Courtesy Patrick Downing/Silver

A flyer for Silver's '+/-' CD release show at The Pour House

It's a natural human tendency to want to label, box and categorize the things that we like, especially when it comes to music. But every so often a band comes along that doesn't necessarily fit any of our pre-existing labels, and their genuine honesty is both refreshing and intoxicating. Silver is one of those bands.

Raleigh-based Silver is comprised of three very talented musicians, all of whom are N.C. State graduates: Patrick Downing (lead vocals and guitar), Brent Francese (drums) and John Enzor (bass). They're getting ready to release their first album, +/-, on Feb. 21st at The Pour House. Their music echoes The Cure, The Killers, Radiohead and Muse. While Silver has obviously been influenced by these bands, Silver's sound is entirely their own.

The most refreshing thing about Silver is their commitment to writing honest and accessible songs. Downing said, "More than anything else, I want to write songs that are honest and have a chance to effect people." Downing also said, "On this record, we tried to write songs that are kind of our own thing, but that also are kind of singable and a little bit more mainstream. I think bands are sometimes too cool to do that. I totally think you can do your own thing and play the music you want and still write good, sing-able songs. That's what we are going for."

+/- is more than just a catchy album title. It also reflects the different kinds of music, moods, and creative styles that the band is experimenting with. Downing said, "We find ourselves writing two different kinds of music -- the first three songs are sort of lighter and more positive songs, and then the last four songs are darker-sounding." The instrumental and haunting song "[white noise]" comes in the middle of the album, adding a nice transition between the two styles of the album. Francese said, "The plus/minus thing gave us structure when we were writing the songs. Pat would come up with a riff and we're like 'all right, that sounds like a plus song', or 'that sounds like a minus song'. It became a nice way to organize the album."

Downing and Francese, who have been friends since high school, have a genuine chemistry that transcends into their song-writing capabilities. While Downing writes most of the songs, Francese said "On this record, I think we collaborated a lot more than we have in the past." Downing echoes those sentiments, "For the first time, as long as we've known each other, we really worked together on some of the songs, and that's exciting, and it just adds to the idea that what we've got, this is actually us. Instead of writing songs that try to sound like other people or like a genre, we just wrote the songs. It really feels like we did this."

This collaborative effort has resulted in an album that could find a very happy home on popular radio, but that has staying power amongst indie-rockers and emo fans alike. The most amazing thing about this album is the speed at which it was completed: they only began writing the songs back in August. While Silver has been together for about a year, Francese just moved back to Raleigh a few months ago. Downing said "A lot is happening really quick -- we put the songs on our website and on Myspace and stuff, and we're already getting hits from managers and booking agents."

While Silver is only a year or so old, the band members have always known that they want to make music. Francese said, "I've always loved playing music -- I was doing architecture (that's what I went to State for), and I got into the industry and then got out of it, and realized that this is not what I'm passionate about. I found myself playing music more than thinking about architecture." Around the same time Francese left the industry, Downing left his job in public accounting. They reconnected, got in touch with Enzor, and the three formed Silver and made music their priority.

Downing's vocals can be soft and soothing, or gravelly and husky. The music is punctuated by electric guitar and rhythmic drumbeats that will get your toe tapping. "We're very delay-guitar driven," Francese said. The songs are undoubtedly singable, yet they're different and unique enough to feel new and fresh. This is a band that knows who they are, and they've found their own unique sound that sets them apart from the pack.

The CD release party for +/- will take place on Feb. 21 at The Pour House. Two other Raleigh-based bands will open, Runaway Cab and A Clere Story. Silver will also have a CD release party in their hometown of Charlotte March 7. - Technician - NC State Newspaper

Raleigh trio Silver captures both the anthemic, British-affected vibe and obscured spirituality of fellow Southern boys needtobreathe, bestowing opener "Beautiful Things" and the driving "Spin Cycle 1.0" with heaps of delay, echoed vocals and soaring refrains. The disc's latter half—purportedly the darker, negative side—cranks the distortion. An overwrought guitar solo detracts from "Ghosts," while a swirling coda of guitars and harmonies elevates the weary "Fighter." Patrick Downing's rhymes tend to be a bit predictable, though, so the deliberate pace and reduced arrangement shape a double-edged sword. - The Independent