With/Without
Artist: Quiet Science 
Label: Independent 
Time: 13 tracks/49:58 min.

Quiet Science is a current buzz band that just may be on the verge of breaking through to the big time. But don’t get them confused with all of those "flavor-of-the-month-wannabes" out there in the music scene.  The songs on their full length debut do have a modern trendiness to them, but you can also hear strong influences by older bands such as U2, Radiohead, and Coldplay.

I like that the joy on this album sounds more authentic than other bands.  I have no problem with bands that sound joyful, but so many times it comes across as trite and forced.  The happiness that I hear in the music of Quiet Science wells up from a deeper place.  Take, for instance, this line from "Cumulus (+Pistis)": "the only thing that comforts me / as I watch the world breaking / is in spite of the stillness / God you’re still moving."

Musically, there is a good mix between guitars and keyboards, even though I would still say that the mix is a bit skewed to guitar side.  I also love the use of actual background vocals here, often written as part of the melody instead of just noise to fill in behind the lead vocals.

Quiet Science is still a new band, so there is some room for growth.  But if they can keep moving forward, we might start hearing them blaring out of every speaker in every hip clothes store in America before too long. 

Matt Crosslin (August 18, 2010)