Silverhawk - 
The Forest for the Trees
On The Forest for the Trees, Silver Hawk paints a natural blend of indie pop with a twist of attitude. The album opens with “Woman in a Cloak,” and immediately the air is filled with soothing guitars, a propulsive rhythm section and a voice guided by angels. Gradually, the guitars grow into a harder sound. The rest of the release is just as laid back/animated, but like I mentioned the twists and turns are what make it so interesting.

At times the singer’s attitude comes flying out of the gate and you can hear a slight snarl from time to time which helps to bring out the bands passion. This is not paint by numbers album, that’s for sure. At times, when the darker tones are fleshed out, the sinister ambience of the music is brought to the forefront. The energy it packs is remake able. The tension and release that this album contains is like a rubber band being drawn back- by the end of the song the tension is released slowly but the pacing is spot-on.

Overall, The Forest of the Trees isn’t an album to listen to if you want to jump around. However, if you’re hangin’ out with a few friends you can play for them one of the best new albums of the year.
With a “big, soulful psychedelic vibe” (from the press kit), Silver Hawk takes an ages-old saying, and they can see the forest for the trees!

Phil Rainone, Jersey Beat 3/9/12
http://www.jerseybeat.com/philrainone.html



March 2, 2012 by Bryan Sanchez   
Category: Albums (and EPs) 
Silverhawk – The Forest for the Trees
The Portland-based band’s third album is a sincere affair of standard folk roots and earnest songwriting.

Different and all somewhat shaded with towering trees, folk music comes in all shapes and sizes. It’s mostly a tag for describing a specific sound and while the genre tags themselves grow wearier as time passes by, there’s always something about the forest, about the shade, about trees and folk that is downright synonymous. Portland’s Silverhawk has always reigned their roots in Americana and the Oregon city for that matter, but for this folk-based band, music is a jolt of expression. With their third album, The Forest for the Trees, Silverhawk address American borders with assaults on folk rock that are both sincere and earnest.
On “I Only Wanna Rock and Roll” the music comes at a relentless pace, with slamming drums and rolling pianos to boot. There’s a strong presence to rock on the album and while the country rock slogan might sound tired as well, Silverhawk place their music somewhere in between rock and folk with steady guitars. The band compliments their energetic music with standards based on the blues and even, country. Even on the heavy-handed “So Complex,” while the music brandishes a muscular, jagged edge, the chiming sentiment of the chorus carries a pleasant ring. While Forest for the Trees is focused on maintaining sincere points – strong, lean cuts of life – there’s a diverse set on display here.
Reading comparisons to songwriters like Michael Stipe sound particularly keen; however, maybe the band is obviously influenced (as many noteworthy bands currently are) by the towering giant band Stipe still fronts. On “I Would Eat His Heart” the drum’s staggered pattern is contrasted with melancholy vocal hymns, before the pounding pulse of the angular guitars rip through. The strong chords embrace the harmonies with magnificent results and through the morbid recounting of seeking revenge, there’s a flourishing keyboard line. The stories on Forest for the Trees certainly convey a rich American drive with methods and nods to religion, crime and money embellished in a flow of Americana roots.
While surely there exists a common thread between any musician that cares about his craft, there is nothing wrong with drawing similar comparisons, let alone similar sounds to some of the best tones in the world. The music on Forest for the Trees is a mulling affair and while the highs never reach more than their modest bars, the blend of honest songwriting is an impressive success. While folk and Americana and any other bred of reminiscent ilk starts to ramble together, the music on the pedestal is all that matters. Silverhawk embrace their influences and spirits with theories that mash their diverse palette with an uncanny ear for melody.



Sam Densmore produced The Forest For the Trees at MastanMusic Studio in the band’s hometown of Portland. “We hashed out the songs for a year and a half, then hit the studio and recorded them. The album is deep, but it also sounds good coming out of a jukebox at the corner pub. It’s sonically sure-footed, vulnerable, trippy and weird. It has a lot of confused introspection, sadness, and anger, along with some good time rock’n’roll.”

The band laid down the music live in the studio, with minimal overdubs and their dynamic interplay comes across on every track. “Brief Interlude With A God” brings to mind Lou Reed fronting T. Rex, with its Flo and Eddie harmonies, thick fuzzy keyboards, surreal lyrics, and a finish that’ll kick your head into outer space. “Swing” is a fractured waltz that features a martial beat, chiming glockenspiel-like keyboards and an ebullient feel, despite the implied self-destruction of the lyric. And it does, in fact, swing.

The straightforward rock of “Class War” was written long before the phrase became current on the nightly news. Growling, grinding guitars and distressing harmonies compliment the song’s bitter lyric and discouraging vocal. The band shows off their playful side with “I Only Wanna Rock’n’Roll,” a cheery, mid-tempo groove, featuring ska-like rhythm guitar accents, rippling honky tonk piano and exuberant vocals. It closes with a subtle nod to The Beatles. The noise heavy “Criminal” has a darker, denser vibe; layers of distorted guitars, screeching keys and hysterical laughter give the unnerving vocals a sinister aura.

“I think this is one of the most human and direct records we’ve ever made,” Sam says. “The songs don’t pull any punches,” he continues, although listeners may disagree once they get KO'ed by Silverhawk’s hard-hitting psychedelia.