Reviews & Press | The Silence Kit

[The Deli Magazine]

8/7 Show at The Fire (2010)

With dark and dreary post punk indie rock in the vein of Joy Division and Psychedelic Furs, and a strong musical background that has seen them play shows alongside the likes of Gene Loves Jezebel and I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness, its only a matter of time before The Silence Kit move on to bigger things. And ever since they released Dislocations back in February on Break Even and Azteca Records, it's been as bright as melancholy can be. You might feel the burning inside when they play an intimate show at The Fire tonight... The Fire, 412 W. Girard Ave., 9pm, $7, 21+ - Bill McThrill

[Mick Mercer]

The Silence Kit "Dislocations" review

This is a very interesting band. On their last album, the wonderful ‘A Strange Labor’ their influences protruded brazenly, like they were some perverted musical armadillo out on the town, but this time round the collective feel is more circumspect, the songs no less engaging, but the feel a little tenser and grittier. Fans of any one of a dozen of early post-Punk bands will be thrilled by this. They can also be seen as an Indie band, but to anyone with an understanding of the original timeline Post-Punk actually is Indie. The fact Indie has come to be pallid shite is just unfortunate. Indie used to crackle with energy, insight and character. Now it’s time for dignity to reassert itself, and bands like The Silence Kit stand proud on the prow of a musical hill, ready to sweep down and desecrate notions of blandness.

‘Let There Be No Hurt’ is a glorious opener with its deceptively weedy frame. It seems to be held back, the vocals discreetly tucked between damp but phosphorus guitar and loose but targeted drums. It gives them a fluid, shadowy form and means they can come closer, then fade briskly before whipping back in, as though you are being taunted by crows. You think it’s ended abruptly, but winds immediately back round you and squeezes. Brilliant.

‘Five Seconds’ is equally relaxed antagonism with ragged guitar and bass fumes, with some crafty and cunning lyrics (“I’ve got five seconds to figure out, what went wrong and how to fix it…”) which soon pull you into the deranged drama. (“You’ve got your reasons you consider me a guest, I’ll keep my distance, ‘cos you are just a mess…”) Brusque sonic eddies turn out to be perfectly edifying as keyboards swarm in at ground level as the bass starts painting the isolation chamber. Solid but glinting smokly ‘Fire Escapes’ starts off like a righteous lecture, then starts to shake itself apart and leads us to an eventual chorus come jangly verse, given it an intriguing form.

‘Make Your Time’ has a leisurely delivery the bass laying over similarly dark bass, drums splashing noisily as the agonising vocalist goes through a period of self-deception. The sever solemnity of ‘Bad Months’ keeps you guessing whether this is accusatory of about estrangement, vocals looming over a dawdling rhythm, slow-draining synth and pretty guitar. ‘Spent Too Long Waiting’ creeps along wispily, bemoaning people living way too fast, then it crashes into incisive action, all demonstrative singing and demonic guitar surgery. ‘The Magician’ is far more relaxed and poppy, loping along breezily,

‘We Are Frozen’ picks up from that upright brightness and then surges along gloriously, the vocals keenly surfing the strict rhythm, a flickering passion enlivening the second half. ‘Your Mistakes’ returns to hot, irate action, bowling along with a seething undercurrent, topped by sighing, luxurious guitar. ‘I’ll Always Bring You Down’ acts us our hungry closer, storming off, trigger cocked, heads held high.

A great record. A moody thing with fire in its belly and a melodic heart lacerated by intriguing barbs. - Mick Mercer

[Allmusic.com]

The Silence Kit "Dislocations" review

On their third album, the Silence Kit continue to explore the vein of gently propulsive, moody rock with a distinctly 1980s feeling that the group has pursued from the get-go. As with their previous work, the balance between reinvention and pastiche is sometimes a bit thin -- not for nothing does "Bad Months" start out sounding exactly like a Cure song from their Disintegration/Wish heyday. That being acknowledged, there are moments throughout Dislocations that rank among the group's best, including the inspiring chorus of "Let There Be No Hurt," which starts the album, and the tight pep of "The Magician." At its brightest and best, Dislocations captures a sense not of head-nodding reverence but sudden bursting energy -- the quality that helped define performers like Adrian Borland and Mark Burgess as antithetical to a perceived too-cool-for-school approach, here exemplified by vocalist Patrick McCay on songs like "Five Seconds," while he rides the slow swing of "Your Mistakes" with both an easy grace and a sense of counting down to a final reckoning. Meanwhile, it's not a permanent Reagan/Thatcher world in the sonics -- the slow, chugging start to "Fire Escapes" suggests the quieter moments of grunge's commercial peak. - Ned Raggett

[Philadelphia City Paper]

Interview for "Dislocations" (2010)

The Silence Kit doesn't sound like much else in Philadelphia. Frontman Patrick McCay makes no bones about his love for post-punk Britishisms; the artful arrangements, stark guitars and charismatic vocals recall Joy Division or The Cure. The Silence Kit's new one, Dislocations — recorded in McCay's home studio/practice space in South Jersey — is the band's boldest, most cohesive statement so far.

City Paper: Dislocations seems to rock harder than previous TSK stuff.

Patrick McCay: You're right, the new album does probably rock a bit more. The bands we listen to and are influenced by are really quite varied. I think we're finding new ways to turn those disparate elements into new sounds, and that's of course what it's all about. Lately, things have definitely been coming out a little more edgy overall, which I think is a good thing.

CP: To my ears, it's a little less Cure and a touch more Nick Cave.

PM: A couple of songs on the album I've had for years but as soon as I brought them to this lineup the songs really took on a new life and started to rock a bit more while still retaining the textured aspects of our sound, which I think is important. But yeah, this album came out a little heavier on the Nick Cave and The Pixies side of things.

CP: Your voice sounds really strong on this one.

PM: I think I'm getting a little better at being my own critic, as well as my own engineer. Knowing whether something has to be sung again, or if it has the right feel and shouldn't be, is always the toughest part. So, I'm happy to hear you say that.

CP: "Bad Months" strikes me as the perfect Silence Kit recipe — you got the moody start leading into some loud, jangly rock, the soaring effects, the catchy chorus.

PM: Thanks a lot. It's interesting because this is one that almost didn't make the album. It's an older song I'd written years ago, and an earlier lineup of The Silence Kit played it for a while. It was a much gentler arrangement back then, and we stopped playing it in 2005 or so. . . . When the time came to record it [for Dislocations], we stumbled a bit at first since we hadn't played it in quite a while and we wondered if we should keep going with it. We decided to record some other songs and just come back to it later. Once we did that . . . we got it down really quickly and were pretty surprised by how well it turned out. We all realized that we'd kind of forgotten how much we liked the song. - Patrick Rapa

[PhillyGirlAboutTown]

The Silence Kit "Dislocations"

The Silence Kit's new album "Dislocations" brings together the hooky bass, post-punk song formation, and vocals that have clearly defined the band since inception. With McCay's signature vocals which bring to mind a darker version of Catherine Wheel's Rob Dickinson (especially as heard on "Five Seconds") the group's post-wave sound is occasionally intimidating. Although there is certainly something here that pulls the shades down on this production compared to the group's 2008 release; we'll be damned if "Dislocations" isn't a fine listen when it comes down to the layering of guitar melodies (especially when heard on rad opener "Let There Be No Hurt"), and we love the light they brought in on the songwriting for "The Magician".

You can really hear the styles that The Silence Kit are trying to work into the mix from synth (we have to gush over the ending on "Five Seconds") and new wave, to the inspiration that comes from a darker and more brooding sound that edges along the lines of a true Factory release. We get where Pat McCay and co. want to take these songs--and we like that you can really lean in and grab hold.

"Dislocations" is the third full-length for the group and although this album seems like the darker half to 2008's "A Strange Labor", we're digging in. We look forward to seeing these tracks performed live at the group's Philadelphia CD release party on February 27th at The Khyber (56 S. 2nd Street) in Philadelphia, along with sets featuring The Standard Model ("the band’s tight, dynamic rhythms and chiming guitar tones drive the tracks dominated by Franco Franus’ vocals") from NYC, and serving up the punch are locals' Tina Kaffeyah and also Party Photographers, with their satisfying velveteen garage crunch. Can't wait! - Carly Marcoux

[Schallgrenzen Blog]

The Silence Kit "A Strange Labor"

[Click for rough English Translation, courtesy of Google]

I always thought the Internet would be an incredibly quick affair. Yesterday I got an email from Philadelphia, in which The Silence Kit for the nomination for the song of the week thanks. However, "A New Disappointment" is already over one of my Year. The band had their album "A Strange Labor" rüberwachsen. Thus, reason enough for me, I like to thank and to write these lines.

My opinion about the song has in the meantime not changed much since the water is inside hinabgeflossen (the innermost flows through Hildesheim) and the album "A Strange Labor" has been released. Singer and songwriter Pat McCay has exactly the voice that it needs to deal with pathos and Schmacke listeners to bring to Mitwippen. And in fact the album is filled with 12 beautiful, old-fashioned songs of the post-punk of the eighties are influenced. Listeners like me, set in the age with the first hint of silver hair in the eighties and musically socialized, the music might.

Memories of The Chameleons, The Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen, and all the wonderful bands are awake again. Other defendants are Psychedelic Furs and the unreached The Comsat Angels, the only real success in Germany and the Netherlands had. Will say that the German soul like the gloomy, melancholy sounds of the eighties. - Peter

Ich dachte immer, das Internet wäre eine unheimlich schnelle Angelegenheit. Gestern bekam ich eine Mail aus Philadelphia, in der sich The Silence Kit für die Nominierung zum Song der Woche bedankte. Allerdings wurde “A New Disappointment” bereits vor über einem von mir Jahr gekürt. Die Band ließ ihr Album “A Strange Labor” rüberwachsen. Somit für mich Anlass genug, mich artig zu bedanken und diese Zeilen zu verfassen.

Meine Meinung zu dem Song hat sich in der Zwischenzeit nicht geändert, viel Wasser ist seitdem die Innerste hinabgeflossen (die Innerste fliesst durch Hildesheim) und das Album “A Strange Labor” ist erschienen. Sänger und Songschreiber Pat McCay hat genau die Stimme, die es braucht, um mit Pathos und Schmackes die Hörer zum Mitwippen zu bringen. Und tatsächlich ist das Album gefüllt mit 12 schönen, altmodischen Songs die von dem Post-Punk der Achtziger beinflusst sind. Hörer wie ich, im gesetzten Alter mit erstem Anflug von Silberhaar und in den Achtziger musikalisch sozialisiert, werden die Musik mögen.

Erinnerungen an The Chameleons, The Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen und all die wunderbaren Bands werden wieder wach. Weitere Angeklagte sind Psychedelic Furs und die unerreichten The Comsat Angels, die wirklichen Erfolg nur in Deutschland und den Niederlande hatten. Will sagen, die deutsche Seele mag die düsteren, melancholischen Sounds der Achtziger. - Peter

[Mick Mercer]

The Silence Kit "A Strange Labor"

Indie with Post-Punk sensibilities naturally suggest a keen intelligence with no chance of pudding basin haircuts and Sixties obsessions. Such is the case with Pennsylvania’s The Silence Kit, who are somewhere in that dream chamber that Adrian Borland insisted be constructed in his will and which sympathetic scientists brought to fruition.

It’s a curiously slender balance which keeps ‘Two Halves’ in motion mentally, the drums organic and close up to everything else, the light vocals wending their way through that basic power and the brightly insinuated guitar which returns with a recurring, pretty motif. ‘A New Disappointment’ is a touch rougher but also has a beautiful chorus which managed to be almost covered with melodic overspill throughout, the modest numbskulls. The vocals burst out like a wiggling leg through curtains, the music lurking further back, peeping over his shoulders during the luminous ‘Reassurement’ where they channel Joy Division easily, with some outright disgust and rejection.

‘Eight Years’ crackles slowly into life, a flame-grilled rumpus with eager guitar and all-knowing, superior singing with a circumspect drama in the arrangement. It snaps shut and ‘Am I Missing Something?’ is off and running, albeit in a relaxed manner with a succulent Cure influence caught in the pleasant tumult, although things are more naturalistic than Granny Smith, more basic, the guitar cajoling, the vocals deploring. ‘And If I Ever See You Again’ is similar but more troubled, trembly and touching. ‘Dry Summer’ seems a bit bland, even though it is nicely soppy, droopy vocals and dripping guitar united, then the vicious little ‘Linguist’ bustles along sharply, stampy and hot, a fissure in their psyche opening up.

‘You Can’t Be Serious’ is thicker and slicker, and gloomier, as more variety comes out of their casually shrouded sound, which shows how much depth they actually have as nothing which seems so easy ever is. ‘Geometric’ frays angrily, rawly, ‘Missing The Point’ sighs warmly, harmlessly, and ‘But This Remains’ shuffles off sleepily, and wait long enough for the hidden song to creepily, sleepily end a very smart, diligently noisy record that has nice lows and modest highs, as though situated between The Arid Sea and Bell Hollow (R.I.P.), so if that’s your thing you’ll be delighted. A dignity buffeted and remote reproach. We can all identify with that. - Mick Mercer

[Jersey Beat]

The Silence Kit "A Strange Labor"

"This Philadelphia four piece sounds as if they could have arrived from England in the early 1980’s. The Silence Kit takes the finest aspects of bands like the Cure and Echo and the Bunnymen and adds just enough modern style to create a record that is both contemporary and honors the past. Patrick McCay carries the band through his voice, and he makes an immediate impact on “Two halves’, a dark, introspective song that starts the multi-faceted journey that is A Strange labor. “A New Disappointment’ and “Linguist’ will certainly gain the Robert Smith seal of approval, but this band does more than simply attempt to recreate the hey-day of true alternative music. The emotive “And If I Ever See You Again’ and “You Can’t Be Serious’ are both brooding, personal efforts with a lyrical content that could be found in any of Bob Mould’s notebooks, while “Missing the Point” actually ahs a country twang. My favorite of the bunch is the breathy, largely acoustic closer “But This Remains”, as not only does McCay shine, but his fellow guitarist Nick Franklin excels as well. The guys do reach back to the 80’s with the synth pop “Geometric’, but this again does not come across as a band stuck in an age of nostalgia, but the Silence Kit have found a sound that is largely non-existent right now and are embellishing upon it. There are elements of Goth and electro-pop, but A Strange Labor has a certain garage aesthetic about it that keeps this from becoming too processed. In all, a very cool little release and a nice surprise for me." - Rich Quinlan

[Leonard's Lair]

The Silence Kit "A Strange Labor"

So many bands refuse to reveal their influences, presumably as a means of avoiding easy comparisons or accusations of imitation. In the case of Philadelphia’s The Silence Kit, they celebrate their post-punk influences and list many of the best bands from that area on their web site. Of course a great record collection doesn’t always equal a great band but The Silence Kit do their heroes justice even if they are unlikely to reach out beyond fans of their chosen genre.

Judging by ‘Two Halves’ they’ve lightened up since their 2006 debut but the song never really gets started; a real worry considering this is their opening gambit. Likewise, ‘Dry Summer’ sounds like watered-down indie. ‘A New Disappointment’ is a notable improvement but - thanks to McCay’s pained delivery - it comes across like a Cure pastiche. There’s a general air of resignation about ‘A Strange Labour’ which sometimes threatens to suffocate the listener. However, there is a flipside to this initially unpromising story.

Thankfully ‘Reassurement’ is free of cliche and full of the brooding intensity which made their first album a treat. Then the true moment of magnificence comes five tracks in. ‘Am I Missing Something’ features a great rumbling intro, skyscraping guitar from the House Of Love songbook and an urgent performance from McCay where even his cries of “Aah” towards the end of the record sound perfect. Not quite as brilliant but still great is ‘And If I Ever See You Again’ where once again the group bridge the gap between doominess and vitality. It’s hard not to admire the gloomy psychedelia of ‘You Can’t Be Serious’ where Echo And The Bunnymen’s Arabesque guitar sound is given a murky makeover and the dominant bassline of ‘Geometric’ has more than a hint of New Order about it.

As one can imagine, listening to these songs is like playing a game of “spot the musical reference” but it should certainly delight post-punk fans. What is more, The Silence Kit hit more than they miss, providing enough excitement to overcome the studied gloom.

[Jon Solomon]

The Silence Kit "A Strange Labor"

"The Silence Kit here on Local Support... If on the first Silence Kit record they won me over sounding a good bit like I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness, on record number two they delve deeper into the back catalog of The Cure for maximum effect."

[Philadelphia City Paper]

The Silence Kit "A New Disappointment"

"...Following the self-loathing trend is The Silence Kit’s moody “A New Disappointment” — its crunchy opening chords could easily be mistaken for a piece of angsty alt-rock that dominated the airwaves more than a decade ago."

[Allmusic.com]

The Silence Kit "In Regulated Measure"

Patrick McCay is for all intents and purposes the Silence Kit, at least on the band's debut effort In Regulated Measure — and admittedly most of the time when one-man rock bands are mentioned one gets images of another power-pop obsessive recreating a long mummified sixties sound…again. Thankfully McCay has a different time to aim at reexploring, namely moody eighties post-punk and lower-key college rock of the day, something which the dark and shadowy cover art suggests nicely without actually being all gothed out. Similarly with the music, starting with "My Name is Another Room," with stark drums, quiet guitar and piano and McCay's understated, gentle croon/rasp leading into a brighter but no less intense second half, suddenly surging with energy worthy of prime Chameleons or the Sound. From there the album's seven songs make their attractively stripped-down, quietly tense way, though if there's a downside to the album it's the general sameness of McCay's approach throughout — having perfected a style w with prominent bass and drums, gentle keyboard and just enough guitar, much of In Regulated Measure lives up to its name by not going beyond those bounds. As a result songs like "Sea of My Discretion" almost function better as individual efforts rather than heard as part of a whole, and even louder brawlers like "Shake and Tremble" and "Trying Not To" tend to up the volume more than disrupt the steady flow throughout. Things vary more towards the end, happily: "Dancing to Me" deserves notice, though, for its buried, muffled drums and almost dreamy pace, while the predominantly acoustic guitar/vocal "Ten Miles Off" is compelling much like similar songs by Cranes circa Forever were. McCay's abilities are in place to explore the form and try something different for the future, but In Regulated Measure is at least an attractive souvenir for where he has started. - Ned Raggett

[DropDeadMagazine.com]

The Silence Kit "In Regulated Measure"

"This Philadelphia foursome make austere music to stargaze by, deliberately melodic and melancholic, centering around Patrick McCay’s dry, Michael Gira-ish voice. Their debut album “In Regulated Measure” (2006) deftly recalls the splendor of Echo and the Bunnymen, as well as Television, Sonic Youth, and Psychedelic Furs."

[Jerseybeat.com]

The Silence Kit "In Regulated Measure"

This Philly/So. Jersey group plays dark, moody rock with a nod towards the goth/noise bands of the early 80's. Sonic Youth has pretty much morphed into a pop band these days but Silence Kit recreates the sludgy tempos, stormy waves of percussion and guitar, and spooky vocals of landmark bands like the Swans and early SY. Modern synth and production keep this sounding fresh rather than retro, but this still reminds me of the ear-abusing post-punk bands that persuaded a pre-emo generation of moody teens to paint their fingernails black and slab on the mascara.

[Leonardslair.co.uk]

The Silence Kit "In Regulated Measure"

In recent times, so many American bands have discovered that it's possible to re-create the darkness of the post-punk times and make it more palatable by adding pristine production and chunky melodic riffs. In these terms, The Silence Kit are strictly "old school" and a more authentic throwback to the early 80s; they would have almost certainly been signed to Factory records if they had been around at the time. They begin brilliantly with 'My Name Is Another Room'; chiefly remarkable for its stunning, aggressive coda. The thick beats and distorted vocals on 'Shake And Tremble' and 'Dancing To Me' are also of great merit. Yet despite the bleak retro noises they make their closest comparisons would be Calla, with whom they share a passion for a very bruised and studied form of paranoia.

[ChainDLK.com]

The Silence Kit "In Regulated Measure"

"This 7 track CD by The Silence Kit certainly sounds familiar even upon the first listening. Yet, it is completely something new at the same time. It's like when you hear something familiar but you can't quite put your finger on why it sounds as familiar as it does. Careful listening will reveal varied aspects of influences from bands like Joy Division, The Cure, Echo & The Bunnymen, and maybe even a bit of The Swans. There is still something I cannot quite put my mental finger on, but this is something that will appeal to anyone moved by the barer forms of Gothic rock from the early punk ages. There is something raw and disturbing yet very beautifully revealing within the chords and rhythms of The Silence Kit. Patrick McCay, founder, lead guitarist, and keyboardist for the band, has definitely tapped into the emotional isolation portrayed by the early forms of his genre. However, he has updated the sound a bit with modern electronics but no so much that you would lose the raw, earthy tonality of the DYI rock band sound."

[Smother.net]

The Silence Kit "In Regulated Measure"

"The vocals immediately strike out with their deep and darkly coated melody that sound just to the left of Nick Cave. Electronic keyboards, soaring guitars, tribal drums and gothic vibes that remind one of lost b-sides by Joy Division and The Cure encircle whispering some deadly intentions that you can only barely get an iota of their breadth. Ever wondered what would be playing in your head as you drift off into a coma? It's "Burst Lethargic", with no puns intended, something that Type O Negative would dub romantic. Fantastic."

[Our Friend The Atom Recordings]

The Silence Kit "In Regulated Measure"

"It sounds very creepy, almost ominous... This would be like the music from Lost Highway or some David Lynch type movie. I just picture someone listening to this song while driving along a dark road in the desert... a Nick Cave feel to it... his vocals almost sound like 70s era David Bowie - where its like that Thin White Duke persona..."

[Schallgrenzen] in Germany

Song of the Week on a German Music Blog

"Der Song der Woche kommt von der Band The Silence Kit aus Philadelphia. Beim ersten hören des Song “A New Disappointment” von dem demnächst erscheinenden zweiten Album “A Strange Labor” fielen mir als erstes The Cure ein. Aber auch Bands aus den Achzigern wie The Chameleons sind ihnen nicht unbekannt. Aus diesem Grund ist die 2002 gegründete Band auch irgendwo zwischen Post-Punk, Shoegaze und dunklem Indie-Rock einzuordnen. Ein schöner zeitloser Song."

[Rockmillieu] in Germany (transalated)

The Silence Kit on a German Podcast

"The band is called The Silence Kit. I (the host of the show) have been a Cure fan for a long, long time. The singer, Patrick McCay sounds like a young Robert Smith. The tune is very much like a Robert Smith song. The accompaniment is very quiet and beautiful. I like it a lot. The band is also on my homepage and there are three or four songs to download..."

[Radio RAG] in Spain

The Silence Kit on a Spanish Podcast

"THE SILENCE KIT no son los mismos rusos sino un cuarteto americano de tambin extraordinaria calidad. Ms cercanos al slowcore pero con temazos que quitan el hipo. En este mes de Noviembre editan su lbum de debut "In Regulated Measure" que ya podrs escuchar la prxima semana en EasyListening by MAC. Arrebatadores sin ms."

[Delusions of Adequacy]

The Silence Kit song review: "Fifty Things To Do"

"Usually I give songs a few listens when Im reviewing , but I didnt want to listen to this song again. Not because it was bad or anything, but it had a real downer vibe about it and I just didnt want to go down there with it. So if thats what they wanted to achieve they hey, I guess they succeeded. It just left me with an empty feeling inside.

If I was an actor and had to prepare for a really intense gloomy scene then I would listen to this. this is real suicide soundtrack, this stuff."

[Philly Edge]

Interview for "In Regulated Measure" (2006)

[Philadelphia City Paper]

Coverage of Upcoming Shows (2006)

"And a foreboding cloud'll swirl atop Raven Lounge July 20 when dark Philly units unite for some sad scary mourning, the Silence Kit and After the Fall."