Silverstein, a post-hardcore band from Toronto, released their first album in 2003 titled: "When Broken is Easily Fixed". I discovered this band in 2021 and have been a huge fan ever since. They're even my fourth favorite band!
This album consists of ten songs, which I will break down in more detail later on. The album artwork features a robot holding a mechanical heart. This album cover does a great job at setting up the aesthetic and mood for the album. Some of the songs are fast and loud, filled with lots of screaming from vocalist Shane Told, while other songs are a bit slower paced, with softer melodies and less screams.
Since it was their first album, I will say, the production / mixing on this album is not as good as later albums, due to everyone in the band being young and inexperienced. Shane's screams are loud and not always pleasant to un untrained ear. In my opinion, this album should not be listened to first out of their discography, so that the viewer has an idea of what Shane's screams and the band's melodies come to be. With that in mind, it's still an absolutely enjoyable listen that I find myself coming back to fairly often. Since I'm familiar with all of their discography, there's something about this album's rawness compared to their others that make me love it so much. I built up this love for the album gradually over time, though. It didn't happen the first time I heard it.
Smashed into Pieces: The song that started it all. This song is so much fun. It's energetic, it's loud, and it's the perfect opening song to show exactly who Silverstein is. Again, Shane's vocals are rough, but it is still a blast.
Red Light Pledge: Love the opening guitar in this song. It's about hoping your girlfriend will stay with you through thick and thin. He wants to explain to her why he is this way, but he doesn't think he can truly explain it all.
Giving Up: One of my favorites on the record. It's a little slower, with a beautiful opening guitar and drums. When the chorus kicks in, the song speeds up and that background guitar is awesome.
November: Another slower-paced one, but filled with heavy screams as well. The ending to this song is absolutely epic. "I close... my eyes... and I can see you dead!"
Last Days of Summer: Another slow-heavy song. This is probably my least favorite of the album, but it's still enjoyable. There's just probably the least amount of memorable parts in this song for me. Still has some great parts though.
Bleeds No More: This is another ripper of a song. Most similar to the first song, Bleeds No More is fast and loud, and has a very cool instrumental section during the song with a girl saying "You're the worst thing that ever happened to me" then blasts into a cathartic scream by Shane Told.
Hear Me Out: This song is pretty catchy, and has a memorable chorus. This song mentions the hilariously overused statements in pop-punk and post-hardcore of "burning your bridges" and "Wear your heart on your sleeve", the only thing it's missing is Shane yelling about how he feels jaded.
The Weak and the Wounded: I think the line I remember the most from this entire album comes from this song: "I've given up - on angel's kiss!!!" I just love that saying. This song has some rough screams by Shane, but's it's still great.
Wish I could forget you: The intro guitar and violin at the start of this song! I love it. This is a great song on the album. Love Shane's melancholy vocals about a relationship.
When Broken is Easily Fixed: The title track! Another one of my favorites. This song has a guest vocalist who screams in the background, which is the reason why I love this song so much. The guest's vocals are higher pitched and angstier. I love it. This song also has a spoken word part explaining more about the name of the album. It's a great closing track.
In Conclusion, this album is a super fun and energetic trip through each of the ten songs. It carries a sense of nostalgia, even when I didn't hear it for the first time until I was 18. It's a great debut album for one of the bigger names in post-hardcore. Go give it a listen! Thanks for reading!
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