The Paradox Twin – Silence From Signals (2021)

The debut of English band The Paradox Twin, titled The Importance Of Mr. Bedlam, left a positive impression on me. I also heard the similarities with Anethema, and to a lesser extent Porcupine Tree, but there was certainly something special in the music of the man behind this band, Danny Sorell. The good production by all-rounder John Mitchell also contributed to the nice open sound with plenty of room for the instruments and Sorell's pleasant voice. The production is again taken care of by Mitchell and as we are used to from him, it is again top notch. To be honest, I'm not really a fan of Anethema, but luckily Sorell managed to put in a bit more prog rock and that is exactly my problem with the new album Silence From Signals. The link to progrock has faded a bit further into the background and the music is more in the service of the, by the way, very beautiful lyrics which are based on Sorell's personal experiences with his autistic son. Sorell's vocals are fine again, but his female co-vocalist Nicole Johnston sometimes blows him off the stage. This woman really has a great voice and plays the part of the girl who is half of a set of twins, of which Sorell takes care of the male side. This interaction is really nice and determines to a large extent the atmosphere of this album and it is precisely that atmosphere that makes this release very enjoyable. Is it true that I am a little less enthusiastic? Yes a bit. It's all beautiful but I miss the musical tension of the debut. Not many solos and in general some easy flowing music that, also in the longer songs I Am Me. I am Free and Specular,  could have used a little more tension. The keyboard work is very clearly present but has a supporting role and there are no solos at all. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy Silence From Signals because, as said before, the overall atmosphere is very nice and the sometimes very emotional vocals certainly give me goosebumps at certain moments and that's where the strength of this album lies. "I am not afraid to Die but I'm afraid to live" stands in all its simplicity for the central theme of this story and is sung super emotionally at the end of Specular and this is followed by a one of the few guitarsolos on the album. Don't you know The Paradox Twin yet? Then listen to the first single Wake Vortex and you will get a good idea of ​​what they can do. All in all, Sorell has again succeeded in delivering a fine album that could already be found in many annual lists. It does not appear in mine, partly because there were quite a few superb releases last year. But I still listen to Silence From Signals regularly so……….