Silverstein have been celebrating their 20th anniversary throughout 2020. The post-hardcore legends released their latest full-length A Beautiful Place To Drown and immediately jumped into a packed touring schedule. With live music coming to a halt in March, Silverstein have been staying busy, using the extended break from the road to fast-track their studio plans and create REDUX II. Due out November 20th via the band’s own N.S.E.W. Recordings, REDUX II is an album of 12 newly recorded songs from throughout their catalog. Helmed by producer Sam Guaiana, the recordings range from subtle sonic updates to bold rearrangements and enhancements, offering a fresh look at the songwriting that has made Silverstein one of the most beloved bands in their scene.
Today the band are sharing one more taste of REDUX II with “California (Acoustic).” Following early singles “My Disaster (2.0)” and “November” the song features one of REDUX II’s most drastic makeovers. Its stripped down arrangement stands in stark contrast with the original from 2013’s This Is How The Wind Shifts, highlighting the emotional core at the heart of Silverstein’s music.
Preorder REDUX II:
http://www.silversteinstore.com
Throughout Silverstein’s two decade career the band have found a natural balance between their core sound and their desire to evolve, and 2020’s dual releases highlight that dichotomy. A Beautiful Place To Drown debuted on seven Billboard charts (including #122 Top 200, #5 Rock Albums, and #3 Current Alternative) and found Silverstein pushing their sound into unexplored territory, experimenting with modern production flourishes, and utilizing surprising guest appearances like that of critically acclaimed rapper Princess Nokia; and now with REDUX II the band have returned to their back catalog to find new inspiration in the melody and aggression that made them. REDUX II follows 2019’s REDUX: The First 10 Years, this time focusing on deep cuts, underrated band favorites, and hidden gems that never got their due. Vocalist Shane Told explains:
“REDUX: The First Ten Years was such a pleasure to make and so well received we knew we wanted to make another one at some point. Of course, we didn’t foresee the circumstances surrounding 2020, but it gave us some time and an opportunity to put together this super fun album of songs that never really held the spotlight. Most of these songs I always thought were great–underrated “deep cuts” that unfortunately were hard to fit into the setlist but in many cases deeply revered by our biggest fans. We were excited to give these tunes a fresh coat of paint and in some cases make a few renovations that could maybe give them the attention they deserve.
I will admit a couple of the songs on this album weren’t my favorites when they were originally released. Maybe it was the mix, the performance, or the song itself, but for some reason they never quite spoke to me. We took on the challenge to find out exactly why they fell flat, and what we could do to find that original magic that existed when they were first written. These songs were reworked, rethought and perfected and now have become some of my favorites we have ever recorded. It’s refreshing and rewarding to be able to bring the knowledge and skills you’ve developed for so many years and go back and breathe new life into something from a different era of the band.
A huge thank you goes out to Sam Guaiana for taking on this REDUX project again and allowing us to share this album with you. He took our collective visions and transformed these songs into what they always should have been. I hope you enjoy these even more than the originals–I know I do.”