Italian Platinum

Description

Silkworm was a band that didn't cheat. The emotional weight of the performances hit first, but the playing was full of destabilizing and chaotic moments that went beyond simple technique. Guitarist Andy Cohen and bassist Tim Midgett wrote separately and each sang what he wrote, but shared a common sense of gravity. Sometimes direct, sometimes totally cryptic, it had little to do with the usual notions of pop craftsmanship. Notoriously self-sufficient, Silkworm significantly expanded its ranks on Italian Platinum (released in 2002). Kelly Hogan contributed backing vocals on several tracks and took on "Young," an oversized ballad without equal in the band's catalog. Matt Kadane (Bedhead, The New Year) became the band's quasi-official keyboardist, stirring the waters with a bed of organ here, a bright piano line there, a fat clavinet solo on "White Lightning." Cohen, Midgett, and drummer Michael Dahlquist remain at the heart of the record. You can hear their absolute confidence in the stumbling drum fills in "Bourbon Beard," the guitar solo Neil Young meets Andy Gill that sows chaos on "(I Hope U) Don't Survive," or the polluted and braggart baritone guitar of "Dirty Air." With each album, Silkworm committed to pushing further against its own limits. The symbiosis defined this band - it's best to hear it for yourself.