Young Modern

Infobox Album
Name = Young Modern
Type = Album
Longtype =
Artist = Silverchair


Released =flagicon|Australia 30 March 2007
flagicon|USA 24 July 2007
Recorded = Seedy Underbelly Studios, Los Angeles, April - November 2006
Genre = Alternative rock, art rock
Length = 45:12
Label = flagicon|Australia
flagicon|USA /Atlantic/Independent
Producer = Daniel Johns
Nick Launay
Reviews =
Reviews =
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:0xfexzl5ldke~T1 2007]
*"Entertainment Weekly" (A-) [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20046855,00.html 2007]
*"PopMatters" rating-10|3 [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/33751/silverchair-young-modern/ 2007]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/15567484/review/15825602/young_modern 2007]

Last album = "Diorama"
(2002)
This album = "Young Modern"
(2007)
Next album = "Silverchair's 6th Studio Album"
(2009)
Misc = Singles
Name = Young Modern
Type = studio
single 1 = Straight Lines
single 1 date = 20 March 2007
single 2 = Reflections of a Sound
single 2 date = 14 July 2007
single 3 = If You Keep Losing Sleep
single 3 date = 9 October 2007
single 4 = Mind Reader
single 4 date = Early 2008

"Young Modern" is the fifth album by Australian alternative rock band Silverchair, released on 30 March 2007. "Young Modern" debuted at #1 on the Australian albums chart on 15 April 2007, and #8 on the New Zealand albums chart.

"Young Modern" was Silverchair's fifth consecutive album to debut at number one on the ARIA albums chart, making Silverchair the first band to accomplish this feat in Australia. "Young Modern" also received four Aria Awards at the 2007 Aria Awards, including Single of the Year (for "Straight Lines") and Album of the Year.

The album's cover art is likely inspired by Piet Mondrian's Modernistic portrait, "Composition No. 10" and takes a three-dimensional approach to his flat style.

Recording and production

Silverchair spent five weeks in the Australian Hunter Valley in late 2005 to practice and sharpen material Daniel Johns had previously written. Following this, the band recorded intermediate full band demo versions of the songs. To record the final versions of these songs, the band travelled to Los Angeles to record with record producer Nick Launay at Seedy Underbelly Studios. Johns co-produced the album alongside Launay.cite web|url=http://www.justpressplay.net/music-reviews/38-reviews/1186-silverchair.html|title=Young Modern Review|publisher=Justpressplay|accessdate=2007-10-08|work=Jeremy Bustin] During the L.A. sessions, additional songs were written and recorded. Van Dyke Parks was hired to compose orchestral arrangements for three songs: "If You Keep Losing Sleep", "All Across The World" and the 3 part epic "Those Thieving Birds/Strange Behaviour".cite web|url=http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?reviewid=11579 |title=Young Modern Review|publisher=SputnikMusic|accessdate=2007-10-08|work=Tyler Fisher] Johns and Parks travelled to Prague to have the orchestral arrangements recorded by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. [cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Young-Modern-Silverchair/dp/B000NQR8AQ|title=Young Modern - Silverchair - Product Description|publisher=Amazon.com|accessdate=2007-12-08]

Unlike previous Silverchair albums, "Young Modern" was funded independently by the band, rather than by a record label. This was done to "remove the added label pressures", according to Billboard. [cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/bio/index.jsp?pid=121521|title=Biography - Silverchair|publisher=Billboard|accessdate=2007-12-08] The name "Young Modern" comes from a nickname given to Silverchair's lead singer, Daniel Johns, by Van Dyke Parks during their time working together on "Diorama" in 2002.cite web|url=http://wc02.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:0xfexzl5ldke~T1|title=Young Modern > Review|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=2007-10-07|work=Clayton Bolger] The album features various guest appearances from Australian and international musicians such as Luke Steele, Julian Hamilton, and Paul Mac. [cite web|url=http://openyoureyestomusic.blogspot.com/2007/04/silverchair-young-modern.html |title=Silverchair - Young Modern|publisher=Blogspot|work=Open Your Eyes|date=12 April 2007|accessdate=2007-12-08]

Album and single releases

"Young Modern" was released on 30 March 2007 in Australia, and 24 July 2007 in the United States of America.cite web|url=http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/music/id/1008341|title=Young Modern (CD & DVD Version)|publisher=JB Hi Fi|accessdate=2007-12-07] The album was released in several versions - the original contained 11 songs, while the iTunes version contained an extra song, "English Garden". A limited edition DVD was also released, which contained a documentary entitled "The making of "Young Modern", as well as the "Straight Lines" music video.

The first single from "Young Modern", "Straight Lines", was released on 20 March 2007, a week before the album's release. [cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Straight-Lines-Silverchair/dp/B000NIVN82|title=Siverchair Straight Lines|publisher=Amazon.com|accessdate=2007-12-07] "Straight Lines" entered the ARIA Charts at #1 on 25 March 2007, and held that rank for four weeks. [cite web|url=http://www.australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?key=297232&cat=s|title=Silverchair - Straight Lines|publisher=Australian-charts.com|accessdate=2007-12-08] It also peaked at #11 on the RIANZ charts. [cite web|url=http://charts.org.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Silverchair&titel=Straight+Lines&cat=s|title=Silverchair - Straight Lines|publisher=charts.org.nz|accessdate=2007-12-08] Furthermore, "Straight Lines" was certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association. [cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/pages/httpwww.aria.com.aupagesARIACharts-Accreditations-2007Singles.htm |title=ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2007 Singles|publisher=ARIA|accessdate=2007-12-08] On 28 October 2007, "Straight Lines" won "Best Selling Australian Single" at the ARIA Music Awards of 2007, as well as "Single of the Year". [cite web|url=http://www.ariaawards.com.au/winners-nominees-2007.php|title=2007 Winners and Nominees|publisher=ARIA|accessdate=2007-12-08]

A second single, "Reflections of a Sound", was released on 14 July 2007 as a digital single. [http://www.musichead.com.au/site/artist.asp?actID=54614&newsID=17752&month=undefined&RandomNo=0.14753300330952415 SILVERCHAIR HEAD BACK TO THE U.S.] . musichead. Retrieved on 17 July 2007.] The music video for "Reflections of a Sound" was first screened on 8 June 2007, and was produced by Damon Escott and Stephen Lance of Head Pictures. [cite web|url=http://toolfarm.com/2007/08/silverchair-reflections-of-sound.html|title=Silverchair - Reflections of a Sound|publisher=Toolfarm|work=Inspirations|author= Michele Yamazaki|accessdate=2007-12-08]

The third single from "Young Modern" was "If You Keep Losing Sleep", released on 9 October 2007. [cite web|url=http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/7522924/a/If+You+Keep+Losing+Sleep.htm|title=If you Keep Losing Sleep|publisher=CDUniverse|accessdate=2007-12-07] The song spent one week on the ARIA charts at #16, before dropping out of the charts. [cite web|url=http://www.australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?key=297232&cat=s|title=Silverchair - Straight Lines|publisher=Australian-charts.com|accessdate=2007-12-08] The music video for "If You Keep Losing Sleep" was orchestrated by Van Dyke Parks, and was produced by Damon Escott and Stephen Lance, who also created the "Reflections of a Sound" video. [cite web|url=http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2007/silverchair-if-you-keep-losing-sleep|title=Silverchair If You Keep Losing Sleep|publisher=The Inspiration Room Daily|accessdate=2007-12-08] The video was described by Molly Meldrum as "the best video I’ve seen from Australia ever". [cite web|url=http://theguildfilm.com/movies/damon-and-stephen/silverchair/MollyReviewSunrise290807.mov |title=Molly Meldrum review of "If You Keep Losing Sleep" video|publisher=The Guild|accessdate=2007-12-08] "Young Modern"'s fourth single, "Mind Reader", was released as an internet-only single on 23 February 2008. It had first appeared on radio in January that year. [cite web|url=http://www.accessallareas.net.au/data/EEAAAuukuZJfLmuJlo.php |title=Missy & Silverchair top the charts for 2007!|publisher=Access All Areas.net|date=11 January 2008|accessdate=2008-03-14]

Response

"Young Modern" was received with great enthusiasm from reviewers. Allmusic's review said the album contained "catchy melodic hooks, inspired lyrical themes, and stunning string arrangements", and called it the "pinnacle of the band's fascinating development". Reviewer Clayton Bolger heaped praise on most of the songs on the album, calling "Straight Lines" an "instant rock classic".

Review website Xdafied was equally impressed by the album, and was the second site to praise the opening track, "Young Modern Station", stating that it "will leave you in awe at its refreshingly different chord progression". Xdafied's reviewer summarised the review by calling the album "a unique masterpiece". [cite web|url=http://www.xdafied.com.au/music/reviews/11.html|title=Young Modern|publisher=Xdafied|accessdate=2007-10-07] Meanwhile, "Rolling Stone" reviewer David Fricke called Silverchair's members "young (in their late twenties)... [and] aggressively modern", [cite web | url=http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/15567484/review/15825602/young_modern | title=Young Modern | author=David Fricke | publisher="Rolling Stone"|accessdate=2007-10-07] and "Entertainment Weekly" called the album a "polished glam-rock suite". [cite web | url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20046855,00.html | title=Young Modern | author=Simon Vozick-Levinson | publisher="Entertainment Weekly"|accessdate=2007-10-07] Sputnikmusic reviewer Tyler Fisher also approved of the album, although he did not think it was as good as it was made out to be, commenting "It is not as good as the ARIA awards will undoubtedly make it out to be but still one of the better mainstream listens of the year."

Nick Pearson of PopMatters, meanwhile, was highly critical of the album. He began his review with the statement "Once you reach the level of intellectual maturity where you can tell the difference between cryptic but poetic lyrics and nonsensical crap, you have outgrown Silverchair", and continued in the same fashion throughout. Pearson likened Johns to Kurt Cobain, saying they share a common inability; "his inability to write lyrics". His only praise was for the third single released from the album, "If You Keep Losing Sleep", stating "'If You Keep Losing Sleep' is proof that Silverchair are capable of recording interesting music". [cite web|url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/33751/silverchair-young-modern/ |title=Silverchair - Young Modern|author=Nick Pearson|publisher=PopMatters|accessdate=2007-10-07]

Personnel

ilverchair

*Daniel Johns - Guitar, vocals [cite web|url=http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/7446253/a/Young+Modern.htm |title=Silverchair Young Modern|publisher=CD Universe|accessdate=2007-10-13]
*Chris Joannou - Bass guitar
*Ben Gillies - Drums

Production

*Nick Launay, Daniel Johns - Producers

Additional musicians

*Matt Appleton
*Alain Johannes
*Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
*Michelle Rose
*Paul Mac
*Elysa Gomez
*Luke Steele
*Yon Garfias
*Nayo Wallace

Track listing

All songs were written by Daniel Johns unless otherwise noted.

# "Young Modern Station" – 3:11 (Daniel Johns and Julian Hamilton)
# "Straight Lines" – 4:18 (Daniel Johns and Julian Hamilton)
# "If You Keep Losing Sleep" – 3:20
# "Reflections of a Sound" – 4:09
# "Those Thieving Birds (Part 1) / Strange Behaviour / Those Thieving Birds (Part 2)" – 7:26
# "The Man That Knew Too Much" – 4:19
# "Waiting All Day" – 4:28 (Daniel Johns and Julian Hamilton)
# "Mind Reader" – 3:07 (Daniel Johns and Julian Hamilton)
# "Low" – 3:48
# "Insomnia" – 3:06
# "All Across the World" – 4:01

Bonus Tracks

# "English Garden" (iTunes Bonus) – 4:23
# "Straight Lines (The Presets Remix)" - 3:53 - released on iTunes special edition.

Bonus DVD

# The making of "Young Modern" documentary.
# "Straight Lines" video

*The vinyl version of the album has only 400 copies made in Australia and a total of 1000 worldwide.

Charts

ee also

*
* Full discography

References

succession box
before = "Grand National" by The John Butler Trio
title = Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album
years = 9 April 2007 – 30 April 2007
after = "On a Clear Night" by Missy Higgins