While we mired in Covid restrictions last summer, one demigoddess was fighting her own battle one song at a time as City of Sound’s Silent Empire was released slowly over 2020.
I for one have been waiting with great anticipation to see how the the journey of self-reflection, inner conflict and awakening concluded. Piecing together this tale over the past several months was like binge watching a great show and then suddenly realize you have to wait another 40 weeks for it’s climax. Thankfully Jordan Wright did not make us wait that long to hear what happens to our heroine. At the end of November the final installment was released and the full album was available late in January much to my pleasure. Your ears will delight in this saga from front to back with lush orchestrations punctuated by the understated vocal stylings of Wright. As I said in my original review, the concept album is in good hands with City of Sound.
Chapter one opens with a genuine cinematic feel that invites the listener in to what is sure to be an epic saga. The main character has just awoken from a life of hard loving with no direction or purpose. The apex of the self awareness is evident in The Madhouse: ‘…can’t you see the beauty that tragedy finds…‘ Each song is a punctuation mark. It’s obvious that every word is as important as each musical note.
Some of my favourite moments are in Chapter Two when she is at her most vulnerable, namely Coat of Arms, where she bares her soul; “If truth is hope, then hope’s the cost” to the fitting climax of that part of the story with her awakening in God’s Acre: “Into the darkest corners I carry my oath to shatter to pieces a great unknown.”
Lacey Nova, Jordan Wright, Andrew Leigh
Chapter three has some poignant moments for our main character with each capstone eloquently accented by the perfect musical notes. Jordan Wright: “The sound is not just full for the purpose of filling holes. Even though we have so much going on in our songs, everything is intentional, everything has a purpose and we’ve created a sweet balance. We wanted to create this wall of sound where you can peer through the fence a little bit.” We open on the Rivers of Eden where hope arises once again. She’s ‘haunted and tortured’ but still finds the light has taken her rage. In the end the battle was crucial for her to become the person she is today.
One can get jaded listening to as much new music as I do on a regular basis. Every once in a while an album comes along that cuts through the fog and stands out as genuine and right. Do yourself a favour and take a deep listen to the saga in it’s glorious entirety. Your ears will thank you for the majestic journey though self awareness, inner strife and realization. Jordan, Andrew and Lacey have created a musical magnum opus. You can find Silent Empire in the usual places. Head over to City Of Sound for lyrics and more information. If you are looking for the musical heart of the concept album, it’s still beating with City and Sound. Take a bow Jordan.
