“Rousing” would appear to come instinctively for Kevin Johnston, singer and songwriter for The Bright Silence, the New York band whose eponymous album certainly lives up to the first part of its name. Big hooks, whorls of guitar, seemingly indefatigable energy and shimmering production (by the band and Bob Mallory) make for a collection that’s invigorating at every turn. 

Highlights abound: bluesy jammer “In Circles” with a surprising, anthemic “whoa-oa” chorus; the meditative, organ-flecked “Shed Some Light”; “An Even Keel”, and its transition from restrained, swirling start to frenzied, power chord-fueled coda; the remarkably intimate “Come On”, a neo-torch song that bursts with life and is vocally Johnston’s crowning moment; and closer “The End of the World”, which holds nothing back in the rousing department. With a finish as big as the great outdoors of upstate New York where this sparkling debut was recorded, if this is what the end of the world sounds like, we’ll all feel fine.

Listen to The Bright Silence here or buy it here. Either way, discover it today.