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Music UPDATED

Things Could Have Gone Better

updated 5/25/20 after a pleasant email exchange with The Silent Critics’ Ryan Coughter. He provided the actual lyrics and the meaning behind the song. Original post in black.

Disclosure by The Silent Critics

The Artist Spotlight on The Silent Critics was the first spotlight I did for The Unheard. I’m a big fan of their album Chemical Avalanches and Toxic Romances, which is one of the reasons I was super pumped to receive a message from Ryan Coughter of The Silent Critics shortly after our website went live. Ryan was super gracious and kind, and I came away from our conversation encouraged about The Unheard.

Ryan gave me two things I would like to share with you. First, he gave me the exact right words to “Disclosure,” which have now been incorporated into the original post below. The second thing he gave me was the meaning of “Disclosure.” Enjoy.

What is the meaning of the song Disclosure?

Liam and I wrote this song together many years ago.  I wrote the music and most of the lyrics but Liam definitely helped out as well! … The song has a couple different meanings but generally the main feeling behind the song was that my girlfriend and I broke up.  My roommate, who was Liam at the time, was in a great and loving relationship.  I admired it, but I wasn’t ready to have that again, I was more interested in a one or five night dance.  I think you can figure out what [that] means!  haha.

~ Ryan Coughter, The Silent Critics

Indeed we can. haha. Thank you so much Ryan and The Silent Critics for reaching out to us. I wish them the best of luck going forward. You can find their album on iTunes or Amazon. If you like their music you’ll be excited to find out that Ryan told me they are planning to come out with their next album this year.

THE ORIGINAL POST (with corrected lyrics)

The Silent Critics is a D.C. band founded by Liam Garland & Ryan Coughter who started working together in college as a class project. Pleased by their chemistry they started playing gigs in the area and even entered and won contest for their songs. Their sound consists of pleasing melodies and stunning vocals.

When I first heard The Silent Critics I was in college sitting behind a mic as a very green DJ (probably terrified I would mess the broadcast up), and I was hooked. The music was good, the lyrics were interesting, but the vocals were breathtaking. I thought it was just a matter of time before these guys were household names…

I was wrong… as I often am. However, the music these guys made has stuck in my head, and I have carried them with me in the years that have passed. Now it is my pleasure to share them with you. (Lyrics Below)

Lyrics to Disclosure by The Silent Critics

(Yeah) I’ve had it once or twice
the second better than the first
things went awry you went away
now I’m not ready to try
try anything more than a one or five night dance
but to have it again would feel unreal
just a taste, a kiss, a touch with that passion
that you see every day like a movie script theme

Don’t want to leave your sight theme
Don’t want to sleep by myself theme
Don’t want to leave like this
I will do anything, I’ll say anything

And I won’t let you down.
No, I won’t let you down.
And I hope to God that I find you
here when you’re around
No, I won’t let you down.

What I take away from this is
that I was in naïve bliss
I never tried to hide it or fight the fact
that I was forcing the feelings
you simply didn’t have for me

You needed time away from me
You said you needed some room to breathe
We can’t waste love like this
I’ll do anything, I’ll say anything

And I won’t let you down.
No, I won’t let you down.
And I hope to God that I find you
here when you’re around
No, I won’t let you down.

Yeah we’re falling to pieces but I’ll pick you up
The late night talking about what’s to come
Well, the details are hazy but I understand
No, you won’t be second best
No, you won’t be second best, cuz

Don’t want to leave your sight theme
Don’t want to sleep by myself theme
Don’t want to leave like this
I will do anything, I’ll say anything

I’ve had it once or twice
the second better than the first
it went awry you went away
now I’m not ready to try
anything more than a one or five night dance

I’ve had it once or twice
the second better than the first
things went awry you went away
now I’m not ready to try
anything more than a one or five night dance

Oh, to me that five night dance sounds perfect
oh perfect

I’m not sure how a band like The Silent Critics slips through the cracks, but if you liked this song you should check out their YouTube Channel where they cover songs like Crazy by Gnarls Barkley.

I hope y’all enjoyed this new song and the probably brand new-to-you band. If you love it I hope you share it with your family and friends.

Categories
Kansas

You’ve Never Heard Of This Band Before

The Trek By Emersons Fall

I can almost guarantee you have never heard any music by Emersons Fall. They have 2 monthly listeners on Spotify and I know for a fact that I’m one of them. Their internet presence is essentially non-existent and googling their band name turns up nothing.

However, through some of extensive research I can tell you that Emersons Fall was a Wichita, Kansas duet made up of Ben Tyson and James Paul. The only album they released was their self titled album of 5 songs in 2011. Since then James Paul has gone on to form a new band with his brother and wife called En Power & Light. Ben Tyson, as far as I can tell, has moved on from music and now works as an engineer.

I discovered Emersons Fall while DJ-ing for the University radio station at Stephen F. Austin and instantly connected with their song The Trek. If you are like me back then I think you might really connect with this song. If not, I hope you enjoy it anyways. Lyrics and Commentary below.

LYRICS

Drop all your things get in the car
wherever we go we will go long and far
There are no rules here there are no holds bar

I’m leaving town I’m busting out
And I don’t know where I am gonna go
I’m all alone so ride with me
And we can just go together
The road is here
The skies are clear
but still I don’t know where I’m going

What we left behind now has begun to fade
I want to fall of the edge of this confusing game
And meet the unknown embrace it face to face

I’m leaving town I’m busting out
And I don’t know where I am gonna go
I’m all alone so ride with me
And we can just go together
The road is here
The skies are clear
but still I don’t know where I’m going

There’s no need to be waisting away time
Nothings (?????) by
All (??????) moving is you and I

Drop all your things get in the car
wherever we go we will go long and far
There are no rules here there are no holds bar

We’re leaving town we’re busting out
And I don’t know where we are gonna go
We’re not alone so ride with me
And we can just go together
The road is here
The skies are clear
but still I don’t know where I’m going

We’re leaving town we’re busting out
And I don’t know where we are gonna go
We’re not alone so ride with me
And we can just go together

We’re not alone

And we can just go together

COMMENTARY

In some of my spotlights I get to dig into the meaning of the songs, but in my research I found this old YouTube video that tells you exactly about what this song is about in their words. So I won’t waste our time pondering the original meaning. Instead, let’s dive into what I admire about the song.

I really like that the singing is just not quite in sync. It gives the song an aura of longing. Another aspect of the song that I really enjoy is how the lyrics portray a sense of discontentment and a sense of hope at the same time. I really admire how Emersons Fall were able to put those two contrasting ideas in the heart of this song.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Does this song remind you of anyone? Does it take you back to a specific moment in your life?

SOURCES
http://web.archive.org/web/20130514221945/http://emersonsfall.com/
https://www.enpowerandlight.com/
facebook.com
youtube.com