The Silver Seas - Moonlight Road

From the classic, well-crafted pop of 2006’s High Society and its follow-up Chateaux Revenge, to country inspired fourth release Alaska, the Silver Seas are a band who have continued to musically evolve with each new record. However, latest album Moonlight Road marks their biggest transition yet, with a shift towards a wholly electronic sound.

On Moonlight Road, the acoustic pop folk and catchy melodies – elements that all their previous albums shared – have been replaced with programmed drums, keyboards and layered vocals. In this respect, the album bares similarities to Josh Rouse’s 2018 release Love in the Modern Age, a comparison that is perhaps unsurprising given Daniel Tashian’s involvement as a co-producer on Rouse’s record. However, whereas Love in the Modern Age draws influence from 80s music, Moonlight Road’s electronic arrangements take a more fresh approach.

Long-time fans of the Silver Seas may initially find Moonlight Road to be somewhat jarring in places, such is the glaring departure from previous releases. The most notable shift comes courtesy of ‘Right Direction’, whereby brash synths collide with Tashian’s almost unrecognizable vocal delivery, to result in what is the least Silver Seas sounding song on the album. Tracks like ‘Good Sign’ (the first of two collaborations with Thad Cockrell) and ‘Go Getter’ are of a similar vein, but feel less imposing due to a looser arrangement that lends a more satisfying dance groove.  

The album really hits the mark on tracks like ‘You Give Me Faith’ and ‘Cecilia’, where the electronic arrangements are enhanced by Tashian’s penchant for glorious melodies and atmospheric lyrics. The second collaboration with Thad Cockrell – ‘Even When You’re Wrong’ – is another standout track, and possibly my favourite on the album. “Emotions are flying / But who’s in charge?” sighs Tashian in the opening lines of this beautiful piano-based ballad that effortlessly drops into a steady beat in the second verse, before reaching more joyous heights with Cockrell’s striking vocal contribution on the song’s bridge.

The album’s title track draws the album to a close with a softer, melancholy undertone that is more in line with the band’s earlier work. The song’s lyrics are among Tashian’s strongest on the album and the final lines “You’re a dreamer by night, sleeper by day / The clouds roll by, you don’t have much to say / But when darkness falls, can you show me the way / Back to her” leave a lasting impact long after the song has faded out.

While Moonlight Road is vastly different from the Silver Seas' previous four releases, Tashian’s melodic flair is present during the album, and indeed the best songs here are the ones that incorporate both the melodic and electronic aspects. However, the album in its entirety is excitingly innovative and an overall solid progression for the band.