For a group of musicians looking to escape the confines of lockdown and immerse themselves in some semblance of a life they recognised, the Isle of Lewis may seem a strange choice. After all, the Outer Hebrides are not renowned for hustle and bustle.
However, it was the island's enigmatic and inspirational nature, combined with the opportunity for intense and uninterrupted contact with a group of like-minded individuals, that brought Silver Moth into being.
What started as little more than a scattering of messages between friends about assembling for some improvised recording quickly gained traction.
Soon a cast of seven characters had been confirmed and the location of Black Bay Studios in Lewis decided upon. And what could have been little more than a nice trip, with some songs to take away to remember it by, grew into something quite irresistible.
‘Black Bay’ was written and recorded in just four days, with a further four dedicated to overdubs and mixing. The fact that only some of the musicians involved (Ash Babb, Stuart Braithwaite, Elisabeth Elektra, Steven Hill, Ben Roberts, Matthew Rochford and Evi Vine) were previously known to each other makes this feat even more miraculous.
While the record could be loosely filed under shoegaze or post-rock it has the cinematic grandeur of a film score. The songs rupture from the earth with volcanic intensity. The molten groove of Hello Doom holds terrifying power in its psych-metal outro, while Sedna bristles with a tension that is never quite resolved, as fading guitars are cast adrift on unforgiving seas.
There is darkness on ‘Black Bay’. The six songs can sound battered, isolated and defiant. Fans of Braithwaite’s work with Mogwai will find plenty to latch onto, but Silver Moth is an altogether different beast. The Eternal is the record's lightest moment and perhaps its finest; a glimmer of blue through stormy skies. Its marriage of dream-pop and rock showcases another side to the group, and leaves us hoping that this collective are already planning their next get together.
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