First Listen: Day Crawler - SIlicone Valley
Day Crawler by Silicone Valley Out Now
Ahead of its release, Silicone Valley (aka Cayman A.) sent us the promotional copy of his latest single, Day Crawler. Here’s what first came to mind.
“Using only his own guitar and harmonica, occasional and strictly functional synthesizer backdrops, and a Teac cassette recorder, he has fashioned an austere, compelling and cost-efficient state-of-the-union message. One might have expected the sparseness of this musical setting to emphasize the sameness of his melodies and chord progressions, but the effect is precisely the opposite.”
This is a 1982 quote from Robert Palmer about Springsteen’s Nebraska, but the same could be echoed about Day Crawler, and whatever project is to stem from it.
Stripped back acoustics, warm Moog bass lines, and retro toms fills add up to a sound comparable to the 80’s underground. For reassurance I rewatched the first Terminator movie with this playing in the background... it worked quite well. At 5 minutes, the track has an eerie evolution that develops in the listener's ear, and reflects taste and influence far rooted from today’s electronic scene.
Almost a year ago we asked what was next and he said “13 songs… I’m trying to produce as much of it away from my computer as possible. A lot of synthesizers. And guitar. And yelling. The songs need to be pure and timeless.” It seems that, like Springsteen in 82’, the artist is looking to put out a body of work more similar to a ballad and a story than his past, and with the limitations he’s placed on himself, we see that coming to great fruition.
A full album is said to be out by the end of the year, and we look forward to its unraveling. Day Crawler by Silicone Valley is out now on all platforms, listen if you please.