- You are tuned to Xfm London
- switch to Xfm Manchester
The Open 'The Silent Hours'
The Open have been hyped to the eyeballs but, astoundingly, they’re not hip (see the all black attire), nor are they from any ultra-trendy scene (the last time we checked, Liverpool via Wolverhampton wasn’t, anyway) and – sorry, lads – they’re not good looking.
What they are, however, is five young men driven by an ambition that makes Richard Branson look like Wayne Slob, who gave the life of nine-to-five the middle finger so they could make big, bold statements of sonic intent to the world. It’s these statements – from here on in, we’ll call them ‘songs’ – that Monsieur Hype has sloped his flabby arse on. And, accordingly, it’s these songs it’ll crumble under. In short, ‘The Silent Hours’ is an astonishing debut. Recorded, for the most part, late last year with Cocteau Twin Simon Raymonde, it’s epic without any hamfisted call-to-arms and fragile without sounding Keane. Because, like Hope Of The States before them, The Open treat self-pity with the phlegm-in-the-face it deserves, a band aware that everything in between life and death is in your own hands so it’s better to kick out rather than give in. Heartbreak, anxiety and confusion are constant themes here; the opening, jagged riff-throttling of ‘Close My Eyes’ sees frontman Steven Bayley set the tone for a confessional as he declares, “When I close my eyes/It’s darker than anything”. Four minutes later, after a spatial, discordant breakdown, the song is reborn with Bayley screaming, "No! No! No! No!", in a signal of the battle ahead. ‘Bring Me Down’ follows, resembling The Smiths at their bitter bilious, best, ‘Forgotten’ throws itself from taut, headspinning time-changes to a slow, melancholy chorus, while latest single ‘Just Want To Live’ sounds like Doves if they ditched the dolefulness.
‘Daybreak’, midway through, is the sound of a man at his lowest ebb, resembling The Verve at their most hauntingly psychedelic. As Bayley has said himself, it’s being sung from “the dungeons of despair.” From this point, ‘The Silent Hours’ rebuilds hope. Penultimate track ‘Can You Hear’ plays like the final part of the panic attacks, seething and exploding around BRMC basslines and Bayley’s forceful screams. Final track ‘Elevation’ feels almost like an appendix, more uplifting and immediate than any of the previous tracks. The fact that they finish the album with the clearest contender for next single and not with some mumbling mope of melancholy is evidence enough of why The Open are the most important British band to emerge this year.
Open your ears, and let the silence come flooding in.
The Open 'The Silent Hours' (Loog) Released July 5 2004.
Agree / disagree with this review? Discuss it on the messageboard or email the editor:
Login to xfm+
latest videos
-
Oasis 'I'm Outta Time'
-
Xfm Meets New Order Part 1
How did New Order rise from the ashes of Joy Division? Peter Hook tells all.
-
Xfm Meets New Order Part 2
How New Order made the million-selling 12-inch monster 'Blue Monday'.
-
Xfm Meets New Order Part 3
Peter Hook reveals how New Order mastered playing electronic music live.
schedule
-
now: 1:00PM - 4:00PM
The best new music and classic tunes including the X-list at 1. Email Jo.Good@xfm.co.uk or text 83xfm (standard network).
-
next: 4:00PM - 7:00PM
Drive time with Dave Berry, call Dave on 0871 222 1049 or txt 83xfm (std network).