Runaway Emotions – Sons of Silver (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

Somewhere along the way, we lost something essential in that shift from rock ‘n’ roll to its moodier younger sibling, rock music. Rock’ n’ roll had swing and swagger, groove and grit, a reckless joy that made you want to move. But what came after? It got too serious, too self-important. Suddenly, we were drowning in a sea of overblown, earnest noise—big, lumbering riffs played by big lumbering guys in cargo shorts and backwoods beards.

Enter Sons of Silver and the sound of rock ‘n‘ roll reclaiming its crown with their debut album, Runaway Emotions. It’s not just a revival; it’s a reinvention. It takes everything we loved, and still love, about the genre—its energy, its attitude, its punch and poise and power, —and updates it, creating a sound that’s sharp, fresh, and yet, still deliciously familiar. This is rock ‘n‘ roll with a modern edge, reminding us why we fell for it in the first place.

From the gnarly, punk/rock and roll hybrid of “Tell Me This“ onwards, which starts us off, we are treated to a master class in what the genre was, is, and, with the help of bands such as Sons of Silver, will be again. And if songs such as “Running Out Of Words“ show that the band can deal in more considered and calmly constructed songs (although even that comes with a lot of punch), they are at their best when kicking out incendiary sounds.

“Baby Hang On“ is full of bluesy grooves and chugging guitars, “Warning Signs“ has some gorgeous *Thin Lizzy-esque* guitar lines, and “Ghosts“ is nothing short of anthemic!

All genres must move with the times, but doing so too quickly can leave you adrift. What is remarkable about Sons of Silver is their ability to tether themselves to the past whilst dragging those sounds kicking and screaming into the modern age.