Show & Tell

Album Review

Although this came out in late 2004, it wouldn't have had that hard of a time passing for a hard rock album of about 30 years earlier, other than for its use of some foul language that even the biggest hard rock acts had a hard time getting through the censors back in the 1970s. In places the sound is very much in the vein of Aerosmith (for whom they've opened for on tour), and Nick Perri's vocals often ring with the influence of Robert Plant. Was it something that was really needed? No, and Show & Tell doesn't boast hooks on the order of the biggest '70s hard rock bands. But the enduring popularity of that sound has proved there will always be a market for new bands doing the same thing, even bands that weren't born when many of their influences were in their heyday. Silvertide have that sound down cold, along with much of the aggressive posturing that comes with it, including lyrical references to partying, sex, and telling the rest of the world where to get off (on "S.F.C.," which has F-words aplenty). "Foxhole J.C.," cautionary shorthand for "foxhole Jesus Christ," indicates they have a few other things on their mind too, and a few more lightly executed slower numbers add some variety to this unexceptional retro exercise.