Hey, where have Silverchair been anyway? They made two hard rock albums, some weird one, and then (way too soon) put out a Greatest Hits. Pretty soon they are coming out with Diorama. But for now, I gotta tell you about the weird one. It's called Neon Ballroom and boy is it something!

The Silverchair story is kind of interesting. They were only maybe three years older on their first album release than Hanson (on average) were with theirs. I was never too terribly impressed with much of what I heard from the first album, but then I've only heard two songs, and one of them (Tomorrow) I have actually taken to liking. It is the perfect example of Daniel Johns' singing style which I can describe no better way except to say that it is the opposite of nasal. When he holds a note and the word he's singing has the "oo" sound (as in "food"), it comes out more like "ewwww", with the hint of an "ee" sound mixed with it. I always thought that was kind of cool. It's also interesting to listen to the notes he picks when he gets the chance, he's quite creative in that department.

Anyway, where was I? The second album, Freak Show was, for the most part, the same thing, except that I understand Silverchair had toned down just a couple of notches. I LOVED the first single "Abuse Me", the guitar sound and everything. Freak Show was a pretty typical hard rock album with some truly shining moments. There was a lot of talk about a song on there called "Cemetery", in which Silverchair had gone completely mellow and resorted to the use of string arrangements. I still remember the unimpressed Rolling Stone critic who said You watch, it'll be their biggest hit. But then it wasn't. And I was disappointed, because this was one of the few times that I would ever cheer on when someone "grew up too fast". Most rock bands nowadays are old enough that they've already decided what they like to do. It's not likely they'll ever change it. It's not likely they'll ever surprise anyone.

Well, Silverchair surprised me. A few years later, Neon Ballroom hit the shelves and the first time I heard anything about it, I was in a CD Warehouse store on my lunch break and I saw it sitting there. I had the cash, so I picked it up, just to see where they decided to go next. I was quite happy with what I got. Just about all of Freak Show's shining moments resurfaced in some shape or form, creating a wonderfully rocking but emotionally and melodic dozen songs to make the workday go by a little faster.

The first three seconds of "Emotion Sickness" will tell you everything you need to know. David Helfgott plays piano on this song, and although I like this CD quite a bit, David alone completely outshines everything else on here, and most everything else in my CD collection as far as that goes. The synchronization of piano, moaning string sections and Ben Gillies' BABA-CHING drumming patterns make for a song that encompasses its title quite easily. Daniel Johns' falsetto is sort of amateurish but nonetheless mesmerizing. Around three minutes in, Silverchair join in to start rocking, but they keep their distance enough so that the orchestra is still audible. Makes for an excellent start.

Silverchair reverts to their signature style on "Anthem For The Year 2000". We are the youth, we'll take your fascism away! That basically sums this song up. It's a typical slow rocker with an almost pop melody. The fact that they play it really loud doesn't exactly hide that. As a matter of fact, recent movements in music may just be based around that fact. Now people are saying, if you wanna do pop, just do pop, ya know. If you're gonna play it loud, then lay off the C Amin F and G! (That's not what this song is, just using an example there.)

"Ana's Song" is another totally insane song. The key change for the chorus turns the song completely inside out, but there are a considerable amount of fill-in chord sequences that make this song practically impossible to predict. Daniel Johns does a little play on words using the name Ana in this autobiographical piece, as in Please Diana (get it? *shudder*) and Ana wrecks your mind (If you say it fast enough, you might be able to make it out).

"Spawn Again" finally picks up the pace a little bit, and this song seriously rocks. Daniel the Vegan screams his lungs out; his obvious disdain for those involved with the killing of animals is evident here. Discard the old, in with the FASHION, who is the bad guy for iron require mince, these are the facts so eat what you MURDER!!! This is animal liberation, eight billion killed for human PLEASURRRRRE!

Okay, so then the song looks like it's almost over... all you can hear is Daniel's exhausted breathing...a motorcycle flies by... then suddenly a new bass riff emerges out of nowhere, and with almost no warning, the entire band starts rocking out over some intense sound effects off of Pac-Man, and Daniel starts screaming again, Death becomes clearer through bloodshot eyes!!! Although I'm still a carnivore myself, I respect his views and find this song a lot of fun to listen to, even though it's totally against my type. He just has so much spirit in it.

When "Miss You Love" makes its appearance, you don't believe it's the same guy. It is the mellowest song in the set and it's totally mainstream stuff. I probably would hate this song if it were by anyone else, but hearing it out of Silverchair I guess I'm forced to more or less "check out" what a beautiful song they can make. Hate to admit it but this song is magnificent. The moments of string and vocal harmonies, though fleeting, make the whole three and a half minutes worth it. Oh yeah, how's this for a line? I love the way you love me, but I hate the way I'm supposed to love you back. I suppose I just ruined it for all the grandparents and suddenly impressed the 20s-generation.

No doubt there is a Nirvanic element to "Dearest Helpless" which hits us for the first time with a pronounced beat that is actually fast. It's not really one of my favorites, even though again we are talking about melodically unpredictable. The song just seems, for lack of a better expression, randomly bland. There are some Alice In Wonderland-ish sound effects in the bridge that bring you out of the sheer blackness of this song, taking you by a strangely unpopulated brook, and suddenly right back into the caves again.

I was sure I wouldn't like "Do You Feel The Same" at first and then it turned out to be one of my favorites. It starts out like Creed's "What If" on morphine, but develops into a brooding and hearty chorus. I guess I only like it because, like before, it has a very dark and clean sound to it. For the first time, Daniel attempts a guitar solo and actually sounds damn good! Sort of like Clapton and Lindsey Buckingham combined. Just a lot more distant and..lower. Could I be read if I was see-through, or would you just read my spine? The rest of the song doesn't make much more sense than that.

"Black Tangled Heart" seemed to be an "underground single", the one that everybody talked about but it never actually hit the radio. The song is like an approaching storm out over the sea at night. Maybe love was the thing holding me back from all, Maybe I'm just the thing to break my own fall. It starts out beautiful (and typically haunting) with some engaging harp chords, and it gradually builds intensity to the point it is tossing you and your tiny ship around. Then, out of the blue, it stops for a minute. Then it starts again. Then it stops, then it just takes you right under. It's one of those epic songs you really gotta crank the volume up and hang on for your life.

"Point Of View" may just be my favorite of all the songs on Neon Ballroom, I think because it sounds so much like their previous hit "Abuse Me". It has the exact same guitar effect, and a brand spanking new melody that is a lot more bluesy and anthemic than before (much like "The Door", that's the last thing I thought before I fell asleep yesterday!). Pretend the world's an ocean, I'm drowning; Pretend that I'm pollution, I'm dying; Pretend the steak's a cowboy and the kiss will kill you, you'll make it through with another point of view.

"Satin Sheets" takes a turn for the punk route, but leaves behind all the happiness exuded by Blink 182 or Green Day. The beat is much like Blink 182's "Don't Leave Me" but the melody is like one of those dark Bush songs. Just wait for us to say it and we'll make you lie, and anyone who cares lies on satin sheets. Although most of the lyrics seem ambiguous, this is the first point at which I find them bordering on hilarious. It's even funnier when Daniel John's backing vocal becomes a screeching mess, and soon thereafter, the whole song disappears except for Daniel's screeching and the drums. I have no idea why I find that so funny :)

"Paint Pastel Princess" is another one of those lemon poppy tunes. Sweet and sour, big time. It's mostly ear candy with a slightly fuzzy bass and the return of string sections. Nothing extraordinary except the fact that even after 11 songs, you still can't believe they were headed in the direction of "Cemetery" this quickly. I'm glad that's what they did and all, it's just still kind of shocking even after all this time.

"Steam Will Rise" plays on words a little bit again. Daniel tosses an unexpected "eh" sound before the word "steam" on occasion, and it took me all of three days before I realized it wasn't a spook trick (if it was, it was working), he was saying esteem will rise. The bass plays a predominant chord sequence, but none of the guitar effects in the foreground ever seem to go with it, they just fiddle around with high notes now and then. Overall, the song is mellow and extremely claustrophobic. The only other notable thing about this song is a KILLER drum solo near the end.

So that's pretty much it. If you are familiar with Silverchair's past work and you haven't heard this CD, I have one word for you: Cemetery. Like I said before, Cemetery was their big move on the previous album, Freak Show, and now at least half of the songs here sound like it.

If you aren't familiar with Silverchair, well chances are this isn't going to change your views on music. There are many different styles going on here that all converge into Neon Ballroom. You know how when you take a picture of someone and there are neon lights in the background, they always come out blurry? That's kind of how this CD is. The hardest blows are softer than you would think, and the soft stuff is mostly.. well, soft. Together, it becomes a blurred vision that left Silverchair on course for the end of career stardom. But let's hope not.

Great Music To Play While: Videotaping yourself singing along and playing guitar and going completely ape

Recommended: Yes