The Sundays — static & silence (1997)

I think as well this is an album that really only makes sense as an adult. What this album does is explore feelings in a way that only makes sense if you've had that experience of eg grief on "Cry," seeing a major news as history-in-the-making on "Mononchrome," the blissful contentment on "When I'm Thinking About You" etc

Love "When I'm Thinking About You."

Yeah it is a mark of how solid this album is that even all the zero vote songs are great. That moment in “Folk Song” when Wheeler unexpectedly extends the chorus and sings “watch it ‘til it dies, slow falling from the sky…”

Blind reminds me a bit of Blue Bell Knoll: gorgeous surfaces, but it’s like the band wasn’t terribly interested in writing songs per se (some of them are great songs anyway, but it’s as if the band was just in the habit of writing well rather than consciously aiming for it), and a lot of it kind of blurs together for me in a nice way.

By contrast, Static and Silence feels very composed (notwithstanding that some of the songs end quite suddenly, as if the band became impatient with whatever point they thought the song was making), like they carefully worked up each song, then sat down and considered what sort of arrangement would best complement the song’s vibe and give it a distinct air.