The new Silverstein is going to be great

       Canadian post-hardcore icons Silverstein, who are set to drop their sixth album This is How the Wind Shifts in two weeks, have always held a special place in my heart. The band brings a certain amount of juvenile charm and fun into everything they do, but never at the expense of displaying their talent. As one of the longest-standing bands in their genre - outlasting giants like Alexisonfire and Of Machines (although the latter are back in the studio, excitement!) - they have had plenty of time to refine and hone their sound, and nowhere does that seem to be more evident (or exciting) than in the new album.
        While the last two years may have been less than kind to the group - 2011's Rescue had its moments, but was eclipsed by its spectacular predecessor A Shipwreck in the Sand (2009), This is How the Wind Shifts has the band coming out swinging, fixing their error-prone grammar, and sidelining the pop elements that previously characterized them.
         'Stand Amid the Roar', the album's first single, begins with frontman Shane Told's raw yell, segueing flawlessly into the delicate equilibrium between clean and unclean vocals that Silverstein always does so well. But what's so great about this song is the dearth of innovation the band has unleashed - breakdowns don't follow the same open-note rhythm that we've come to know so well. The song's structure is difficult to discern, with a plethora of riffs, clean sections, and ramp-ups that make it such a unique experience.
         But Silverstein really got me excited with their second single, 'Massachusetts'. Being a born-and-raised Masshole myself, this was a nice little gem. While 'Massachusetts' is slightly more poppy than 'Stand Amid the Roar', and reminds me at times of Shipwreck's anthem 'Vices', the melody the band has on this song is unparalleled. Again, song structure is anything but cookie-cutter, but what makes this single so great is Told's cleans. Good God, that man can sing. I can't describe it, but 'Massachusetts' is an amazing song. You can listen below.
           To put it very bluntly, I am fully expecting This is How the Wind Shifts to be not only a complete evolution of Silverstein's style, but an epic of an album from a band whose twelve years of experience are anything but wasted.

           This is How the Wind Shifts drops on February 6th, and I am  ridiculously pumped.