the "Return" of "Silverchair"

I used to rock Silverchair on the way to basketball games in 7th grade. "Israel's Son" used to get my blood pumping as much as any 13 year old's blood could be pumped. "Suicidal Dream" was morbidly titled, but beautifully written and I would listen to it on repeat. This Australian three-piece was 15 at the time. Present day, a new album, 5 years after the release of Diorama, a sound entirely foreign to 1995's Frogstomp. It's been a gradual progression, led by Daniel Johns, as he's morphed the sound from immature heavy angst to mature electronic and symphonic melodic rock. His side project the Dissociatives (w/ electronic musician Paul Mac) released one of my absolute favorite records in 2005, one which was nominated for 6 ARIAs (Australian Grammies) including "Album of the Year." Transitioning back to Silverchair, Johns has retained the blissful pop of that project and refined it further. This is not the Silverchair you remember. So if you hated them then, you might want to give it another shot. Johns is a visionary who has been in the spotlight from when he was 14 and refused to wilt. The music just keeps pumping out of his mouth and fingertips.

Listen:
Straight Lines
[from Young Modern|buy]
Across the Night
[from Diorama|buy]
The Dissociatives - Horror with Eyeballs
[from s/t|buy]