Silence Is Loud

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Silence Is Loud
A close-up photo of the artist's face staring directly into the camera.
Studio album by
Nia Archives
Released12 April 2024 (2024-04-12)
Length35:15
Label
Nia Archives chronology
Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall (Remixes)
(2023) 		Silence Is Loud
(2024)
Singles from Silence Is Loud
  1. "Forbidden Feelingz"
    Released: October 14, 2021
  2. "So Tell Me..."
    Released: November 16, 2022
  3. "Crowded Roomz"
    Released: January 19, 2024
  4. "Silence Is Loud"
    Released: February 15, 2024
  5. "Unfinished Business"
    Released: March 14, 2024
  6. "Cards On The Table"
    Released: April 10, 2024

Silence Is Loud is the debut studio album by English record producer, DJ and singer-songwriter Nia Archives. Released on 12 April 2024 on Hijinxx and Island Records, the album constituted Archives' attempt at fusing jungle music with Britpop. Upon release, critics rated the album positively, and the album charted at No. 16 on the UK Albums Chart, becoming her first album to make the main listing and the second to make the UK Albums Chart Update.

Background and production[edit]

In 2022 and 2023, Archives had released the extended plays Forbidden Feelingz and Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall,[1] the last of which had charted at No. 49 on the UK Albums Chart Update, but had not made the end-of-week listing.[2] She then began working with Ethan P. Flynn, who had previously worked with FKA Twigs and David Byrne, and spent five months that year working on the album, mostly at his Barbican Estate home studio.[3] According to Nia Archives herself, Silence Is Loud represented her attempt to fuse jungle music with Britpop, citing groups such as The Beatles, Blur and Oasis as sources of inspiration for the album's songwriting process.[4] Elaborating further on the topic during an interview with The Guardian, she said:[4]

Jungle was the punk of dance music – it's rebellious. It's also Black British music. [...] I liked the loose link from jungle to Britpop. In the '90s, you'd have the Gallagher brothers hanging out with Goldie and Björk. That mismatch of people, like David Bowie going to the Blue Note on a Sunday night in Hoxton [to attend the jungle club night Metalheadz, nsp], I love that culture. [For me, Britpop is] a feeling of optimism. When listening to Britpop, there's a feeling of togetherness.

Promotion and release[edit]

Archives released the single "Crowded Roomz" in January 2024, about her experiences of being surrounded by people while touring but still feeling unable to be herself, which was accompanied by a music video which featured Maverick Sabre and Corbin Shaw.[5] The following month, she announced the album's track listing,[6] which included "Crowded Roomz" and earlier tracks "Forbidden Feelingz" and "So Tell Me...", which had previously appeared on Forbidden Feelingz[7] and Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall respectively;[8] she also released its title track, which expressed her love for her brother.[9] The following month, she released the single "Unfinished Business", a track about a current partner's feelings for their past.[10]

Silence Is Loud was released on 12 April 2024,[11] and used a picture of Archives with a diamante Union Jack grill as its cover art;[12] a limited edition of the album was pressed on "Union Jack vinyl".[13] The album was released during a period where many artists were inspired by mid-1990s Britain, with Rachel Chinouriri's What a Devastating Turn of Events and Dua Lipa's Radical Optimism also taking inspiration from this period.[4] Archives had sported a Union Jack diamond grill for a ES Magazine photoshoot the month before the album was released,[14] and had performed in front of a large Union Jack flag at a launch party for issue 18 of The Face the month before that.[15] One track, "Tell Me What It's Like", featured a spoken word introduction from Goldie.[16]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic78/100[17]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[18]
Clash8/10[19]
DIY[20]
Exclaim!7/10[21]
The Line of Best Fit7/10[22]
musicOMH[16]
NME[23]
Pitchfork7.3/10[24]
The Skinny[25]
Slant[26]

Silence is Loud drew generally positive reviews from music critics, earning a Metacritic score of 78 out of 100, based on 11 reviews.[17] Paul Simpson of AllMusic wrote that the album's near-constant "anxiety and doubt [...] all goes down easily and thrillingly due to the winning combination of slamming breakbeats and Nia's charming personality, as well as the chiming guitar melodies influenced by samba and dreamy indie rock", though felt that her "always sincere" lyrics could "be a bit on-the-nose at times".[18] Robin Murray of Clash wrote that "as a mission statement, ‘Silence Is Loud’ – from its title down – [was] virtually perfect for the producer" and posited it as an "early Mercury tip",[19] while Daisy Carter of DIY described the album as "jam-packed" without ever feeling "too much or too choppy", and wrote that "for all its referential nods and sonic variation, this is still a project that is cohesively, distinctly her".[20]

Jordan Currie of Exclaim! gave a more mixed review, opining that "her signature breakbeat [was] the ideal vehicle to communicate the chaos of being the overwhelmed girl in the corner of the party" and that her breakbeats were "often somewhat indistinct from one another",[21] while Matt Young of The Line of Best Fit felt that the album was "better at hitting the mark than at other times", and singled out "Forbidden Feelingz", "Blind Devotion" and "Tell Me What It’s Like" for "lag[ging] in the album's core".[22]

John Murphy of MusicOMH compared her lyrics with those of Lily Allen and Kate Nash, though opined "the unbroken sound of chaotic DnB percussion can be become a bit wearying for someone unaccustomed to the jungle sound" and found that the last track, in which Archives sung to nothing but a backing synth, was a "welcome" change in sound.[16] Kyann-Sian Williams of NME also spoke highly of "Silence Is Loud (Reprise)", describing it as the album's "biggest highlight" and the album as a "collection of tranquil tracks that showcase her ability to craft intricate songs beyond a hedonistic floorfiller".[23] Kieran Press-Reynolds of Pitchfork described her sound as "the sound of 100 thoughts racing through your head when you realize your situationship lied to you" but felt that "many songs offer only vague sketches of emotional conflicts", and opined that "in the process of supersizing her sound, Nia has lost some of the subtle charm that made her early music so addictive".[24]

Noah Barker of The Skinny opined that the album played "like the record's runtime was set before material was allotted to the space, unleashing a high-octane sugar rush in a space fit to dilute it into the unbearableness of being palatable",[25] and Charles Lyons-Burt of Slant Magazine compared Archives' vocals to Amy Winehouse wrote that the album "often sounds like she’s both narrating a scene and retreating back into herself", and felt that Archives was "ultimately unable to wring enough pathos from the narrative she presents".[26] On the UK Albums Chart dated April 25, 2024, Silence is Loud debuted at number 16, becoming her first UK Albums Chart entry; the album also became her second entry on the midweek chart, and debuted atop the UK's Dance Albums Chart.[2]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Nia Archives and Ethan P. Flynn, except where noted.

No.TitleLength
1."Silence Is Loud"2:37
2."Cards On The Table"2:56
3."Unfinished Business"3:16
4."Crowded Roomz"2:52
5."Forbidden Feelingz" (Nia Archives)2:46
6."Blind Devotion"1:47
7."Tell Me What It’s Like?"3:10
8."Nightmares"2:42
9."F.A.M.I.L.Y"2:39
10."Out Of Options"2:08
11."Silence Is Loud (Reprise)"2:28
12."Killjoy !"2:07
13."So Tell Me..." (Nia Archives, James Jacob, Ed Thomas)3:47
Total length:35:15

Personnel[edit]

Musicians

  • Nia Archives – vocals (all tracks), drum programming (tracks 1–3, 6–10, 12, 13)
  • Ethan P. Flynn – keyboards, synthesizer (tracks 1–4, 6–12); electric guitar (1, 2, 4, 6–9, 11), bass guitar (1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 12), synth bass (1, 3, 6, 7, 10–12), acoustic guitar (2–4, 7), organ (2, 3, 9), slide guitar (2), clavichord (3, 4, 7, 9), Mellotron (6), bouzouki (7), piano (8, 10–12), background vocals (8)
  • Nathan Boddy – programming (tracks 1, 4, 7, 9, 12)
  • Felix Stephens – cello (track 9)
  • Ed Thomas – guitar (track 13)

Technical

  • Nia Archives – production (all tracks), music production (track 4)
  • Ethan P. Flynn – production, engineering (tracks 1–4, 6–12)
  • Jakwob – production (track 13), mixing (5, 13)
  • Matt Colton – mastering (tracks 1–4, 6–12)
  • Foundry Mastering – mastering (track 5)
  • Stuart Hawkes – mastering (track 13)
  • Nathan Boddy – mixing (tracks 1–12); music production (1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 12)
  • Lilian Nuthall – mixing assistance (tracks 1–4, 6–12)

Charts[edit]

Chart (2024) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[27] 9
UK Albums (OCC)[28] 16

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Nia Archives releases 'Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall (Remixes)' EP". DIY. 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  2. ^ a b "NIA ARCHIVES". Official Charts. 2024-04-25. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  3. ^ "Nia Archives is rewriting jungle's rulebook". The Face. 22 February 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Butchard, Skye (26 April 2024). "Mad fer it! The young musicians flying the flag for Britpop". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Nia Archives returns with "Crowded Roomz"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  6. ^ "Nia Archives announces debut album, Silence Is Loud". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  7. ^ "Nia Archives: Silence Is Loud album review – A debut to shout about from the rooftops | News & Features - The List". list.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  8. ^ Williams, Kyann-Sian (2023-03-08). "Nia Archives – 'Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall' EP review: honest stories and subdued beats". NME. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  9. ^ Skinner, Tom (2024-02-15). "Nia Archives announces debut album 'Silence Is Loud', shares sentimental title track". NME. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  10. ^ Dunworth, Liberty (2024-03-15). "Listen to Nia Archives' reflective new single 'Unfinished Business'". NME. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  11. ^ "Nia Archives Announces Silence Is Loud, Shares Title Track". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Rachel Chinouriri: 'I'm a Black girl with indie songs, people didn't know what to do'". The Independent. 2024-05-05. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  13. ^ Petridis, Alexis (2024-04-11). "Nia Archives: Silence Is Loud review – bold, fresh jungle unbound by tradition". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  14. ^ "Nia Archives: 'I don't think there's anything wrong with being patriotic'". Evening Standard. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  15. ^ "We threw a rave in a pub with Nia Archives". The Face. 2024-03-01. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  16. ^ a b c Murphy, John (April 16, 2024). "Nia Archives – Silence Is Loud". musicOMH. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  17. ^ a b "Silence is Loud by Nia Archives". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Simpson, Paul. "Overview: Silence is Loud - Nia Archives". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  19. ^ a b Murrary, Robin (April 18, 2024). "Nia Archives – Silence Is Loud". Clash Music. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Carter, Daisy (April 12, 2024). "Nia Archives - Silence is Loud". DIY. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  21. ^ a b Currie, Jordan (April 11, 2024). "Nia Archives Is Pure Electricity on 'Silence Is Loud'". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  22. ^ a b Young, Matt (April 10, 2024). "Nia Archives: Silence is Loud". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  23. ^ a b Williams, Kyann-Sian (April 11, 2024). "Nia Archives – 'Silence Is Loud' review: reflective jungle from an essential new star". NME. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  24. ^ a b Press-Reynolds, Kieran (April 15, 2024). "Nia Archives: Silence is Loud". Pitchfork. Conde Nast. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  25. ^ a b Barker, Noah (April 11, 2024). "Nia Archives – Silence Is Loud". The Skinny. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  26. ^ a b Lyons-Burt, Charles (April 9, 2024). "Nia Archives Silence Is Loud Review: Breathless Soundscapes Without Much Space to Spare". Slant. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  27. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  28. ^ "Nia Archives | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
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