New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Toronto-based, spaced-out, post-punk/hardcore outfit Sparrows, will release their sophomore full-length, �Let the Silence Stay Where it Was,' via New
Damage Records on October 14.
On the new LP, the band re-teams with longtime collaborator, engineer/producer Kenny Bridges, front man of seminal Canadian melodic punk outfit Moneen.
The LP is preceded by the release of a 2-track single which came out earlier this month and includes the song "Cave Eater," and a cover of Failure's "Sergeant Politeness."
A new song ("Three Four Two Five, Three Four Two Five�) off the album is premiering exclusively on New Noise Magazine.
A video for "Cave Eater" can now be streamed on Exclaim!.
Pre-orders will launch on
September 9.
Sparrows - "Let the Silence Stay Where it Was" Track Listing:
Three Four Two Five, Three Four Two Five
The Written Rules Of Choking
Carrying On With A
Modern Lifespan
Cave Eater
If We Make It Over The Mountain
Teething
Waking The Red Sky Season
Tinnitus
Our Saviour Left Us For Dead
Fire In The House Of The Lord
Upcoming U.S.
September Tour Dates:
9th Buffalo NY - Sugar City
10th Pittsburgh, PA - City Grows
11th Frederick, MD - Guido's Speakeasy
12th Philadelphia, PA - TBA
13th Ridgewood, NJ - Ridgewood Elks Lodge
14th Providence, RI - AS220
15th Boston, MA - Old Yeller
16th Nashua, NH - Elk's Lodge
17th Rochester, NY - Bug Jar (with Being As An Ocean)
About Sparrows:
Simply put, 2015 was a shitty year for Sparrows.
It didn�t start out that way; quite the opposite, in fact. Having steadily amassed industry attention and accolades for their unique brand of beautifully punishing post hardcore in prior years, the band signed with Toronto�s New
Damage Records and dropped the heralded Dragging Hell EP shortly after. Despite soaring high and poised to capitalize on their major milestones, things skewed sideways.
�It seemed like every time we tried to make something happen or take a step forward, something weird would happen,� says guitarist and vocalist Dan Thomson. A broken finger, torn tricep, and transport woes ultimately meant cancelled tours and unwelcome downtime during what should have been the busiest span of their burgeoning career. But every cloud has a silver lining, and in Sparrows� case, every setback bred a spark of inspiration.
Now, Thomson and bandmates Jon Busby, Justin Sears, and
Kevin Dennison are back and hell-bent on blazing forward with Let the Silence Stay Where It Was, their sophomore LP following 2013�s Cold Ground and first on New Damage, dropping in the fall of 2016. Fuelled by the frustration of their misfortunes, the LP boasts a palpable catharsis and unprecedented level of intensity.
The album stays true to Sparrows� signature and celebrated sound, showcasing their arsenal of crushing riffs coupled with intricate and ethereal melodic passages, a sharp sense of dynamics, and vocals that sway effortlessly from delicate to devastating. But while these may seem like familiar staples of the genre, what�s particularly notable about Sparrows is their execution � urgent but organic, stylish but substantial. They borrow more from the likes of Quicksand and Cave In than the contemporary cohort of underdeveloped and overproduced post-hardcore bands.
It�s a sound they�ve refined over the years with engineer/producer Kenny Bridges, the frontman of seminal Canadian melodic punk outfit Moneen and a longtime collaborator with Sparrows, dating back to their debut 2011 EP Goliath. �One thing I�ve learned over the years with Sparrows is we never take the simple route,� Bridges says. �We are always searching for a new sound or new way to approach a song. It�s that creativity that keeps us coming back to work together. They are taking chances that other bands just aren�t taking anymore.�
Perhaps what most sets Let the Silence Stay Where It Was apart from their back catalogue is that, whereas Sparrows had previously been a more solitary musical outlet for Thomson, their latest is a collective creative effort from a finally cemented lineup. �We just all seemed to be on the same wavelength,� Thomson says. �It was a bit tough for me at times, but in the end, the music is stronger than ever, and so is our bond as a band.�
That�s immediately evident in the music, with an undeniable power and emotive impact that pairs well with the band�s lyrical themes. Much like the soundtrack it anchors, Thomson�s poetry is aggressive and abrasive on the surface but with a remarkable depth and underlying beauty. �There was a ton of outward anxiety and just pure anger that we had to channel,� the singer says � �this overwhelming sense of letting people down and just not being in control.�
But once again, silver linings�
Dead set on making up for lost time, Sparrows will be tearing up highways for the foreseeable future, bringing their fiercely riotous live show to as many stages as possible. �That�s always the plan,� Thomson says emphatically. �We�re a live band first and foremost,� and that�s apparent even through the stereo, with Let the Silence Stay Where It Was capturing the raw energy born of these four guys pouring themselves into their performances and elevating the experience to something that defies the sum of its individual parts.
�There�s a beauty in that simplicity that seems to be lost these days,� Thomson muses � but it�s not lost on Sparrows, who like post-whatever pioneers before them are proving that substance and strong songwriting will always trump the charlatans � setbacks and all.
