Silent Spike

Silent Spike by Ken Woods and The Old Blue Gang is a conceptual album exploring the building of the transatlantic railroad in America. What is often forgotten during that period is that a significant portion of the production was done by underpaid Chinese labourers. Despite their hard work and contribution to the railroad in horrible conditions, there was still a serious anti-Asian sentiment in the states. This project feels like a mixture of exposing the darker side of American history while also drawing parallels to modern life and the significant backlash from marginalisation. The first track that sonically stood out to me was Steel Stretcher. I love the way the guitar mimics the sound and texture of stretching and bending metal. It is awesome to see a connection between the narrative and melodic aspects of the track.

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The project’s overall emotional tone sits in this bold, passionate, rebellious energy with an introspective and uncertain undertone. The two ebb and flow beautifully from track to track, with the confident energy often falling in the foreground and the subtle introspection sitting in the background. Sundown Town is a personal favourite because of the excellent lead guitar that elevates the track’s opening. It interacts beautifully with the percussive elements, creating this warm, fuzzy hue around the piece as a whole while also emphasising the melodic identity of the track through the sonic evolution of the lead. The drums throughout the project manage to communicate the rhythm and timbre at the same time. They hiss and crash from moment to moment, immersing the listener into the sonic landscape of the track. My favourite track of the whole project is the penultimate song, Ride the Rails. The boldness of the project is mixed with this structural consistency and this play between chaos and order feels symbolic of the narrative journey overall. This project feels cohesively connected between its narrative and melodic core. The piece of history it explores feels important to remember and also deeply relevant to the way we treat each other today.