"Why is it fair that an Asian person who does better than a black person on a test doesn't get in just because they're Asian? You're black, I'm white... What can I do that you can't do? If you had a business, would you want someone there who's skin color is like yours or someone who's going to do a good job? DEI tells you, because you're black, you come and get the job over someone else just because you're black. That is racist." You can't give someone an opportunity without taking away an opportunity from someone else. And when we decide that opportunities should be given to people based on skin color, you inevitably take a job opportunity away from someone else who worked harder to gain those skills. Do you want a pilot flying your plane because she shares the same gender and skin-color as you but maybe scored lower on a test. Or would you prefer to know that the person flying your plane actually earned the job by being the most exper...
In anticipation of A Beautiful Place To Drown, releasing March
6, we are ranking all of Silverstein's prior albums. Keep in mind that this ranking is a matter of personal opinion. Feel free to provide your own rankings in
the comments below.
#9 - Short Songs (2012)
A
clever album full of songs that are mostly under one minute in length.
The first half contains a handful of Silverstein originals, while the
second half contains a selection of short cover songs. It's ranking is
largely because the short length of the album makes it feel a bit like
an EP.
Favorite Songs: "Brookfield" / "It's My Job To Keep Punk Rock Elite (NOFX)"
#8 - When Broken Is Easily Fixed (2003)
Silverstein
is a band that grew on me over the course of a few albums. I still
remember picking up a free copy of a sampler CD at a local Bionic
Records which contained the songs "Smashed Into Pieces" and "Bleeds No
More." The songs resonated immediately. This was my first experience
with screamo music, and it spoke directly to the depressed teenage soul
within. However, these were far and away the better two songs of the
album. This was Silverstein's debut, and they showed a metric shit-ton
of promise. But it would take at least another album for the band to
flesh out their sound.
Favorite Songs: "Smashed Into Pieces" / "Bleeds No More" / "Giving Up"
#7 - Arrivals and Departures (2007)
Silverstein's
third release is possibly the band's poppiest, lacking the cohesive
sound that most of the other albums posses. It does have some good tunes
on it though. Including one of Silverstein's few love songs that
doesn't end in heartbreak; "Still Dreaming"
Favorite Songs: "Still Dreaming: / "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" / "If You Could See Into My Soul"
#6 - Rescue (2011)
The
first album after the band left Victory Records. Sometimes I wonder if
the album title, and lead single "Sacrifice" might be references to the
band's former label, which has left a sour taste in the mouths of some
of the bands that used to be on the label's roster. Most notably,
Streetlight Manifesto, who had a public legal dispute that was later
resolved (we think?). The album has
some stand out singles, but like Arrivals and Departures, lacks an overall cohesive album sound. According to vocalist Shane Told, who recently did an album ranking of his own,
both albums were produced as more of a collection of songs rather than
the typical full-album approach that the songwriter prefers.
Favorite Songs: "Replace You" / "Forget Your Heart"
