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Songs of Silence (Vince Clarke album)

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Songs of Silence
A black-and-white photo of Clarke's face
Studio album by
Vince Clarke
Released17 November 2023 (2023-11-17)
Genre
Length42:40
LabelMute
ProducerVince Clarke
Vince Clarke chronology
Deeptronica
(2009) 		Songs of Silence
(2023)

"I could have gone on forever, I could have not stopped. I was enjoying the process so much and wasn't thinking about anyone else hearing it. But hearing it develop in my studio, in my head, learning new tricks—that's been the best thing about this. I was in a state of shock, actually, when Mute said they wanted to release this album."

—Clarke on recording Songs of Silence[3]

Songs of Silence is a studio album by British electronic musician Vince Clarke, released through Mute Records on 17 November 2023. It has received positive reviews from critics. The album was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic with Clarke building all songs around a modular synthesizer. Each track is based on a single note that is held throughout the composition, with other musical elements added to it.[4]

The album does not include the synth-pop styles that Clarke has explored in his earlier career and instead has somber tones that reflect his anxiety around the world during COVID and responds to his grief at losing friends and former bandmates during the recording, with sadness reflected in the sounds.[1][5]

Reception

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According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Songs of Silence received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 74 out of 100 from five critic scores.[6] Editors at AllMusic rated this album 3.5 out of 5 stars, with critic Marcy Donelson writing that "Songs of Silence showcases instincts and inventiveness well beyond that of your typical synth-instrumentals diversion".[7]

Writing for The Guardian, Chal Ravens rated this album 3 out of 5 stars and noted the sense of dread and anxiety that the music conveys.[2] Editors at Louder Than War chose this for Album of the Week and critic Paul Scott-Bates speculated that ambient music listeners will call this "a faultless piece of genius" and characterized it as "sheer flawlessness" and "an album so perfect and so precise that it is impossible to fault", and additionally wrote that calling it "a classic of the modern age would be no exaggeration".[8]

Ben Hogwood of musicOMH rated this release 4 out of 5 stars and compared this to Clarke's synth-pop music stating that "Clarke here uses drones as his musical currency, rather than intricate synth lines or memorable chorus hooks" and continued that these "soundscapes are often as craggy and imposing as his close-up black and white album packshot image, rising before the observer at daunting angles or closing in like the outskirts of a dense forest".[9]

Editors at Paste included Songs of Silence among the best albums of the week, with critic Robert Ham calling it "a series of mood pieces with each one glowing from within as if energized by a core of molten rock or radioactive material".[10] In Resident Advisor, Alastair Shuttleworth wrote that this "compelling debut", "Clarke sustains a mood somewhere between unease and awe" that "holds its own with a coherent and convincing voice" amongst other electronic.[11]

Fiona Shepherd of The Scotsman gave this 3 out of 5 stars, stating that this work is in "stark contrast" to Clarke's other music, being "a symphony of drones, oscillation and moody synthscapes, all carved from a lockdown obsession with the Eurorack modular synth system".[12]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Vince Clarke except "The Lamentations of Jeremiah", written by Clarke and Reed Hays.

  1. "Cathedral" – 4:21
  2. "White Rabbit" – 4:40
  3. "Passage" – 3:10
  4. "Imminent" – 4:56
  5. "Red Planet" – 4:40
  6. "The Lamentations of Jeremiah" – 4:23
  7. "Mitosis" – 4:51
  8. "Blackleg" – 3:06
  9. "Scarper" – 3:47
  10. "Last Transmission" – 4:46

Personnel

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Charts

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Chart performance for Songs of Silence
Chart (2023–2024) Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[13] 54
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[14] 69
Scottish Albums (OCC)[15] 28
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[16] 6
UK Independent Albums Breakers Chart[17] 1
UK Official Physical Albums Chart[18] 22

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Tannenbaum, Rob (14 November 2023). "Vince Clarke, a Synth-Pop Mastermind, on His Unexpected Solo Album". Music. The New York Times. ISSN 1553-8095. OCLC 1645522. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b Ravens, Chal (17 November 2023). "Vince Clarke: Songs of Silence review – Covid anxiety fills synthpop star's debut solo album". Music. The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. ISSN 1756-3224. OCLC 60623878. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  3. ^ Eede, Christian (7 September 2023). "Vince Clarke Reveals Debut Solo Album, 'Songs Of Silence'". The Quietus. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  4. ^ Ham, Robert (13 November 2023). "Vince Clarke: Reluctant Solo Artist". Music > Features > Vince Clarke. Paste. ISSN 1540-3106. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  5. ^ Rogers, Jude (5 October 2023). "The Silent Partner Speaks: Vince Clarke Interviewed". A Quietus Interview. The Quietus. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Songs of Silence by Vince Clarke Reviews and Tracks – Metacritic". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. n.d. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  7. ^ Donelson, Marcy (n.d.). "Vince Clarke – Songs of Silence". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  8. ^ Scott-Bates, Paul (17 November 2023). "Vince Clarke: Songs Of Silence – Review – ALBUM OF THE WEEK!". Album Reviews. Louder Than War. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  9. ^ Hogwood, Ben (17 November 2023). "Vince Clarke – Songs Of Silence". Album Reviews. musicOMH. ISSN 2516-6220. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  10. ^ Ham, Robert (17 November 2023). "Best New Albums: This Week's Records to Stream". Music > Lists > New Albums. Paste. ISSN 1540-3106. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  11. ^ Shuttleworth, Alastair (7 December 2023). "Vince Clarke – Songs Of Silence". Reviews · Albums. Resident Advisor. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  12. ^ Shepherd, Fiona (17 November 2023). "Album reviews: Madness | Dolly Parton | Vince Clarke". What's On. The Scotsman. ISSN 0307-5850. OCLC 614655655. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  13. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Vince Clarke – Songs of Silence" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  14. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista sprzedaży - albumy" (in Polish). OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Note: Change the date to 23.02.2024–29.02.2024 under "zmień zakres od–do:". Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  15. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  16. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  17. ^ "Official Independent Album Breakers Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. n.d. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  18. ^ "Official Physical Albums Char Top 100". Official Charts Company. n.d. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
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