New Music Tuesday: Silver Medal – The Trophy Room [EP]

Praise be to the indie rock/pop gods that have shone their eternal light on this lovely Tuesday. We have an absolutely wonderful record to share with you beloved followers and anyone who has lamented against the state of indie music in the modern age. Some of our old pals, as well as some new friends, that make up the incredible Portland based band Silver Medal have a wonderful EP that you should all know and love. And we are going to dig into it very quickly. But, first…..

I am sure that a lot of you can look back on the music we have showcased in the past, and may be noticing that there has been a shift in taste and definitely the amount of content and time we are putting into the world of independent music. I could apologize for this, but honestly, it’s just age, Folks. We are getting older, and after a dozen years of digging through the digital crates, it’s beginning to feel a bit taxing. Oh and speaking of taxing (watch out! Here comes the Segway!)….

If you can remember back to just over a month ago, you will remember a track that neared upper crest of our Top 100 Songs of 2019, which would be “Tax Season”. It is damn fine track, and an obvious pick for a single from this incredible 5 track opus. Silver Medal mashes the loud wall of sound structure that makes them special with a loud pop vocal superiority that makes their songs so damn catchy and easy to listen to, also a huge trait that makes the band shine.

But, as much as I love “Tax Season” as a single, it behooves me to recognize the fact that The Trophy Room is an EP that simply MUST be played as a whole. And with several listens back to back to truly grasp how truly unique and brilliant Silver Medal is as a collective. Even with just 5 tracks, there is so much to unpack on this album. Each track gets a bit longer in length, starting with a 2 minute introduction to aforementioned pop sensibilities with “Good Riddance” and wraps itself up nicely with the nearly 6 minute opus like cut “Upon Remembering and Ancient Curse”, which is definitely my favorite song of the batch. But again, this is an album that works best when listened to as a whole, and this may only be my favorite track because it’s the grand finale to a collection of brilliant songs.

Seriously Folks, Silver Medal the band with that indie pop sound that I feel like everyone can know and love. We’ve been covering the work of the band’s lead vocalist, Jared Brannan, for a lot of years. Many moons ago, I can remember comparing his song writing to what it would be like if Dostoyevsky were a folk singer. And while the sound has somewhat shifted, improved I would say, the same sentiment still stands. I’ve none Jared, and other members (former next door neighbor to Allen Anderson here, I wonder if he remembers that? Allen?), in different PDX incarnations over the years. Everyone in the group has been making delightful sounds in one way or another for so many years, and it really feels as though it has all cultivated to reach this point, with this very specific project that I hold very dear to my heart. They are an incredible act, and I implore anyone with the means to find yourself at one of their shows. I can only imagine it to be a hell of an experience that I wouldn’t want to miss.

So with that, pick up a copy of The Trophy Room wherever you buy your music. I’d suggest starting out at the band’s website,silvermedalmusic.com. Pick up a copy on vinyl even. Support those who create great art. Which is exactly what Silver Medal is, great, wonderful, and exciting art.