A Silver Rocking Chair (Diorama - Silverchair)

Name: utero

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Product:	Diorama - Silverchair
Date:	29/12/02 (389 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A big step in sound, Some great tracks

Disadvantages: Not enough rock, Too much operatic rock

After three albums for Sony it was now time for Silverchair to move on, those three albums were made by the time the band had barely crept into their twenties and each one has shown a progression and move away from the hard angst of Frogstomp, by Neon Ballroom it appeared the badn had discovered that were more instruments out there that could be used.

Diorama was released earlier this year to little fanfare, it was a big success in the homeland of Australia but barely made a dent in the UK, this is partly due to the lack of promotion but is probably also down to the fact that that album was released here many months after it's australian release and true fans of the band would have bought it then.

Those who were disappointed with the lack of real rock on Neon Ballroom will probably have mixed feelings about this album. It's certainly a reflection of what's been going on in Daniel John's personal life, gone are the snarling angry riffs and in are more string fuelled melodies. It's taken a lot of getting used to but I like this new direction.

The album opens with 'Across The Night', a huge mix of guitars, pianos, strings and brass. It's incredibly upbeat and mellow, somewhat optimistic. The lyrics are poetic with lines like 'I fell in love with people sleeping/and hugged a mans arthritic shoulder'. It's a good track and one that you probably wouldn't expect.

The single 'The Greatest View' follows and I'm amazed that this recieved very little in the way of promotion, I don't recall ever hearing it on the radio and the video was rarely played on the likes of MTV and Kerrang. It's certainly Silverchair's most commercial trac to date with a chorus that is instantly memorable.

'Without You' starts off a bit more rockier that the first two tracks, it soon mellows though. It has some great lyrics such as 'You brighten my life like a polystyrene hat
/But it melts in the sun like a life without love.' Ultimately I think it's a bit of a lazy track bu after a few listens it grows on you.

'World Upon Your Shoulders' is another track that is high on emotion and tries to be uplifting. Again it's one of those tracks that will probably alienate those who want more grunge from the band.

'One Way Mule' is one of the grungier tracks on the album. It has a down and dirty riff and growling vocals. It certainly isn't anthemic rock but those who've heard the tracks before it will probably welcome the change as it goes into some guitar twiddling that Kurt Cobain would probably would have been proud of.

'Tuna In The Brine' is one of the best tracks on the album. It's a real uplifting song that shows a real progression with the brass and strings sections all coming into force. It's pretty operatic at times and probably wouldn't sound out of place in a musical.

'Too Much Of Not Enough' is probably my favourite track on the album. It starts off with some great lyrics and guitar before building into a good chorus. It's the perfect mix of what seems to be the Silverchair sound on this record and some of their older stuff.

'Luv Your Life' is certainly a track that you wouldn't expect from the band. It's laced with strings and piano throughout, it's got a good outlook on life and there isn't a distortion pedal to be heard throughout.

'The Lever' is another track that is rare on the album. It's actually pretty heavy with some grunge guitar sounds throughout. However it still finds time to be a bit more happy.

'My Favourite Thing' starts with some great acoustic guitar and drum rolls. It slowly builds into some big arrangements and again there isn't any real rock in sight.

'After All These Years' is one of those tracks that just had to end the
album. This is another one of the songs that pretty much sums up the album, it's piano driven and is the kind of sing that demands a lighter be waved in the air.

I'm in two minds about this album, it's definitely not their best record however it's better than Neon Ballroom. There's too much mellow and not enough rock for my liking. I can't fault the quality of the songwriting on the record but those who liked Frogstomp and Freak Show won't find the sound of those records on here. This is certainly a record that grows on you and it does have it's pick of great tracks. The only problem is that you can only take so much uplifting rock operatics. I got my copy from CD-Wow for £6.99 a few months back and it you like the band then at that price you vould do far worse.

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