Track: Silver Linings
Album: TBC
Release Date: January 27th 2013
Genre: Indie Rock
Recorded: New York, NY, USA
Recording Dates: December 2012
Written by: Mark Talley
Produced by: Scott RHLabel: Chaos Records
Mark Talley: A BackgroundMark Talley is a guitarist, vocalist and occasional percussionist who was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the 4th November 1988. The 24-year old was brought up in a relatively middle class area of the city, and was encouraged from an early age to take up a musical instrument. After working through a range of different skills, including piano, violin, cello and various brass instruments, all of which he would later grow bored of, Talley would later settle on guitar. His knowledge of his instrument has long been one of the most talked about elements of Talley, and in the years between 2006 and 2009, when his band had seen a temporary hiatus, he completed a bachelors degree in musical theory.
Talley is best known for his time with iconic metal band, which he joined in 2003 as the lead guitarist. Following the firing of founding member Alex Polanska, Talley was drafted into the band by frontman Scott RH, after the singer saw the then-14-year-old playing at a local talent show in Philadelphia. While his version of the Blood of Wecz classic
Price to Pay may have failed to capture the imagination of the judging panel, it was enough to see the teenager become the first non-European to join up with the classic death metal outfit since its inception, five years earlier when Scott RH himself was also a 14-year old.
Mark would have an immediate effect on the Blood of Wecz, as their next album
Heaven/Hell would take on a far-more melodic sound, later credited to the arrival of a new guitarist who had a differing vision to the more "brutal" techniques seen in the times of Alex Polanska. From there, Talley would be lead writer and guitarist on 9 more Blood of Wecz albums, also appearing on the band's
Where We Came From DVD and documentary, filmed in Edinburgh, Scotland, during early 2010 and their famous Delta Tau Battle of the Bands victory. Scott RH has often credited Mark Talley as "the most dedicated and talented man I have ever known" and said that his creativity was what took Blood of Wecz from rebellious overachievers to genuine global superstars. He is also said to have often acted as a mediator between band members, stopping fights and acting as the middle man in arguments.
Since the break up of Blood of Wecz in 2010, Talley has been working as a session musician for various musicians, acting as one of many guitarists on the debut Katie Coyle, and performing live with a wide number of acts. He has also previously worked for Chaos Records and Chaos Magazine in a number of different guises. The guitarist is the fiance of TricJam owner Layla Raine; the couple were engaged in October 2012 after being introduced by Scott RH and his wife Gia late in 2011.
Rocksound Magazine ReviewSilver Linings is the debut major-label release from indie rocker Mark Talley. The single marks the first time the guitarist and vocalist, who spent over a decade as lead guitarist and one of the main songwriters with metal heroes Blood of Wecz, will stand alone and perform music that speaks truly for himself. A jumpy-energy filled indie rock anthem,
Silver Linings is truly a song to remember. It oozes elegance and style, its verses hook-filled and layered with clever imagery and lyricism, while the chorus is one fit for any summer festival, with visions of more than 100,000 revelers chanting along not too hard to come by while listening to its melody. The song speaks of fighting for something you believe in, with suggestions that it has connotations of both love and physical fighting, while the main theme remarks on the fact that no matter what you are faced with, there will always be light at the end of the tunnel, and always a reason to see hope in anything you are up against.
To step away from any band would be a difficulty for anyone other than the frontman, but when that band is Blood of Wecz, and the frontman in question is Scott RH, the task must be multiplied extensively. Talley does not let this faze him though, changing his style and heading into a solo career with a confidence and quietly modest swagger that suggests he will have no trouble at all when it comes to shaking off the "former guitarist" tag.
Truly a song to wash away the winter blues of another cold January, Talley's voice and guitar work on
Silver Linings are both warming and inspiring. His effortless vocal range, scarcely seen during his days with the band, allows him to change pace throughout the song's different sections, while the indie-rock element to his guitar play shows a diversity and a huge difference when compared to his time in Blood of Wecz.
Silver Linings may not be what you have come to expect from a man who dedicated the largest part of his career to being a metal guitarist, but it is an indicator of the guy's true calling. He sounds comfortable, he sounds at home, and he sounds like he is filled with confidence, style, and a sort of smart class that will be difficult to match. His most obvious competitor in the market will be fellow indie-rocker James Urie, with the chart-topper due to release an album later this year; however, the truth is that Talley feels so at home here, his music clever, inspired and superbly executed, that he truly is a match for anyone in the indie scene. Look out Misery Loves Company, and hold on to that crown, this guy can really write a song.
4/5
Mark says"This is such a surreal moment for me, to see my dream of releasing this single come true at last. It's been a long time coming, and to be honest I didn't ever think it was really something that would happen. I constantly write music and play guitar, even on my down time from Blood of Wecz, and even though I had a lot of previous songs that I thought could have made the cut, writing this one was my crowning glory. The chorus came to me as soon as I woke up one morning, and I just thought "yeah....this needs recorded." I went to Scott to ask him if he wanted to help me record it for Blood of Wecz, maybe get something off the ground with the band for the first time in a few years, but as soon as he heard it, he just smiled at me and told me that it was something I had to do myself, because it was so me. Looking back at that moment now, I can't thank him enough, but at the time, it was pretty nervewracking and I didn't know if it was something I'd be able to do myself. I'm glad now that I took the plunge and did it though, and I'm incredibly proud of the fact that I managed to do this, and the end product, which I honestly think is the best thing I've ever done in my career.
"In terms of the style of music for the track, obviously the first thing people will realise is that it's very different to what I've done in my past with Blood of Wecz. As I've said in the past, metal is like something that brought me a lot of joy and happiness in my career. But that was the keyword in my eyes; "brought" not "brings". I think I just grew out of metal, and I wanted to do something that was different to what I was used to. I was listening to a lot of MLC, Riot and James Urie, and I drew a lot from what they were doing. I wouldn't call them direct influences as such, because my stuff sounds different from them, but I certainly drew a lot of inspiration to be able to record indie music and be confident that it will do well. I'm happy with how it sounds overall. It has a nice clean rockiness to it that I think is accessible to everyone, and it has a sort of edge that I just love.
"Lyrically, though, is where I think my strengths lie in this track. I used to write most of the music for Blood of Wecz, but Scott was always the lyricist, so having the chance to put my own words and poems to something like this has been fantastic. I wanted to make the song a little ambiguous, but also give it a very direct and strong message. What I mean is that you can draw whatever meaning you want from it; be it love, an actual fight, a desire to win, to grow in your career, it epitomises all of those battles in life. The overall message though is that there is always hope in this life, always a silver lining, and I think that comes across very strongly. I think the chorus is something that people can sing along to and remember, and I reckon that I've done quite well, I'm pleased with it anyway.
"Overall, this song was all about me proving something to myself, and showing everyone else what I can do. I'm very proud. Very very proud of what I've done."
The TrackThe track begins with a high pitched strumming on a guitar, clean and quick, before some drums come in all of a sudden, and the intro takes on a rather jumpy and energetic tone. The song has a sound that is largely unique in its indie stylings, but also sounds quite cool and familiar, excellently slotting itself into a genre that can be hard to conquer especially for a solo artist. As the intro comes to an end, there is a quick flourish on the bass guitar, and the guitar plays another few quick high pitched chords, before another drum fill comes in to signal the transition to the verse at last.
The opening verse is quite slow, yet still catchy. The musical accompaniment is largely dominated by the soft drumming and the dominant bass line, but the guitar continues the bouncy chords, high pitched and happy. Mark's vocals are warm and unique. He has a sort of old-school tone to his voice, low pitched, but with a wonderful range, and excellently tackling the slower first part of the song. The lines of the verse are almost split in half, with the shorter first part sung in a choppy fashion along with the music, before the second part is smoother and more energetic, with the guitars coming in more prominently during this part.
After the double verse, the pre-chorus of the song comes in. It is the quickest part of the song, where Mark's vocals turn towards an almost tongue-twisting fashion. Guitars and drums hit a single note at the start of each line, as the 24-year old's mesmerising voice hits the rhyme laden section perfectly, executing the imagery with a sort of swagger and style, so confident and clear that it can even be heard through the record, making the song sound cool and spectacular.
Following this, the chorus comes in for the first time. Its arrival comes after a short pause, almost not even noticeable, such is its lack of presence. The guitars and drums then burst back to life for the epic sounding chorus. It is anthemic and has a huge sound to it, along with its wonderful and positive message. The choruses are slower than the section that preceded them, but faster than the verses of the song, and they have a brilliant sing along quality that will make this one of the big tunes of the year. The guitars are bouncy throughout, contrasting the brilliantly smooth and effortless vocals of Mark Talley, his voice still sounding as unique yet classic as earlier, but with a slightly higher tone and a bit of a raspy edge to it.
The band then play their way through the same sections again, largely playing the same as before, but with more of an adventurous edge. When Mark sings the line "I'll be your muse, if you promise you're my artist!", the music dies, and his voice takes on an almost distant tone, echoing and alone in the background, with an almost shouting quality to it. This allows him to showcase his own vocal talent, while also giving the song a moment that really defines it and frames the upcoming chorus so well. The lack of music, and the silence that this causes between the verse and the pre-chorus means that the track has a wonderfully defining moment that lets it push home its message and gives the listener something to remember.
After the second chorus, there is another shorter verse, choppier and jumpier than the earlier one, that again lets the song flow well. The fact it has just one section gives a different time scale to those which came before it, and lets the song take on a different style, almost challenging the listener a little more. After this, there is a different bridge, with very choppy and short lines that deliver a punch with every drum beat and every big guitar chord, pushing home the message of the song with every mention of the silver lining that is supposed to be the main focus of the theme of the song. This is then followed by one last chorus, sung the same as before, before the song ends with one happy, energetic guitar chord that rings out.
LyricsYou've come so close, that I can even see the white of your eyes,
We're here to toast, another victory, but I'm not surprised,
You took a risk, on another fairytale that might come true,
A tale so brisk, another fable where the hero pulls through
I won't ever let you fall, into the pits of another bad nightmare,
Out from the darkness you call, I often wonder just how you might fare,
Dreams of loneliness, another vision of a time when we had no one,
Snatched from the naughtiness, another chance to steal away from our fun
But I've seen that pain in your eyes,
Don't let them provoke you,
Another batch of bullshit and lies,
As they prod and poke you,
Are you backed into another dark corner,
Pushed onto the ropes,
Dressed all in black another mourner,
Drained of desires and hopesYou can't draw a cloud without a silver lining,
Another light at the end of a darkened maze,
Stare through the rain, cos the sun's still shining,
A rainbow on my horizon reaching out from the haze,
Don't let them tell another tale of despair,
You'll never be the one that they'll force to care,
Cos you'll never live your life with a knack for whining,
And you can't draw a cloud without a silver liningYou were always on the rise, never less than the cream of the crop,
With that glint in your eye, your floating up to reach the top,
Please take me with you, I'm riding along on your coat tails,
I'm not bleeding it's just paint, far less memories of fails.
I watch them gather, the ominous rain clouds looming dark overhead,
But I'm bold like my father, scary, but it's a path we must tread,
Let's hold hands, take our chance and stroll together into the darkness
I'll be your muse if you promise you're my artist!
They lost the chance, we'll stick together,
Won't ever come unstuck,
Hand in hand, we're birds of a feather
Just don't give a fuck!
We're organised let's fly in formation,
Never lost that warm sensation,
I'm telling truths without citation,
Torn from you, like lacerationYou can't draw a cloud without a silver lining,
Another light at the end of a darkened maze,
Stare through the rain, cos the sun's still shining,
A rainbow on my horizon reaching out from the haze,
Don't let them tell another tale of despair,
You'll never be the one that they'll force to care,
Cos you'll never live your life with a knack for whining,
And you can't draw a cloud without a silver liningThe last bastion of freedom, let it ring with a shotgun blast,
Placards, bottles, bricks, let speech reign to the future from the past,
The cloud might be dark, but it's surrounded with silver so fine,
A look at hope, a driving force, a reason to put it all on the lineBecause you can't draw a cloud
You can't draw a cloud,
There's no such thing as a cloud
I've never seen a cloud
No you can't draw a cloud
Without a silver liningYou can't draw a cloud without a silver lining,
Another light at the end of a darkened maze,
Stare through the rain, cos the sun's still shining,
A rainbow on my horizon reaching out from the haze,
Don't let them tell another tale of despair,
You'll never be the one that they'll force to care,
Cos you'll never live your life with a knack for whining,
And you can't draw a cloud without a silver lining
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