Record Review: Sounds for Sore Eyes by Silk Letdown

Eject! Eject! Face the free fall in Silk Letdown’s debut rock album Sounds for Sore Eyes. The Portland rock group spirals through flurries of grunge, blues and funk, like watching the ground come up to meet you as you pull the ripcord and parachute to safety.

“The silk letdown is a fighter pilot's last resort,” says singer and USAF veteran Paul Shamy.

Formed by Shamy and Pierce Guderski (bass) in fall 2023, the group spent the last couple years honing their sound and recording songs with an evolving cast of talented Portland musicians. Recently, lead guitarist Chris Gruchacz and drummer Josh DeDiego expanded the band’s musical vision with their chops and original work. On July 18th, Silk Letdown finally unleashed their eight-track record digitally and on vinyl: a rainbow of catchy choruses, danceable riffs, and head-banging breakdowns that smolder into explosive finales.

Dive head first into the album with “Big Blue,” a song that spans the depths of Silk Letdown’s carefully honed sound. Dedicated to Big Sur, it rolls like the waves and grooves like a hell ride down California’s coastal road. Sporting a Red Hot Chili Peppers tank in their Twilight Cafe music video, Guderski slaps out funky bass melodies, hypnotizing and unwinding into the lead guitar’s spontaneous, sputtering electric outburst.

Then the record delivers a double-punch with “Too Much” and “Too Far.”

The former track explores Guderski’s overactive mind that stubbornly demands to be spoken. “I’m sorry, I might just be too much,” the lyrics lament over a frenetic, galloping riff that invokes classic Hendrix. While standing tall and striving to be “a man of principle” might put others in a corner, the album wouldn’t be the same without Guderski’s meticulous ear. He carefully writes, records and mixes – mostly from his apartment – creating a satisfying surprise every time.

“Now we’ve got time for playin,” Shamy shouts out, before the bass of “Too Far” grumbles to life like the start of an engine. The guitar wails with distortion and hangs heavy in the air before kicking into overdrive.

“This addiction can’t kill me,” the vocalist groans. Infused with a burning hunger, the track climbs higher and higher as Shamy chants “Bleed to feel. Feel too real.” Finally, he wails over the edge, “Sweat this out!” falling back down to the bassy sludge pit that swallows the high. After another verse and chorus, the lead guitar bubbles up into a sweltering solo that, in my opinion, might be the best on the album.

Next up, Silk Letdown takes on “Fever Dog” from the movie Almost Famous. This edgy cover takes the original sluggish, psychedelic soup and brings it to a boil. The fast-chopping riff and the now-familiar spice of Guderski’s groovy writing style bring out all of the song’s musical potential. You’ll even feel like you were bitten by the fever dog in the band’s upcoming music video. Wearing gaunt black makeup, the band appears through a crackling white haze of static. Shamy’s howling vocals, the searing guitar solo and pounding chorus make this track worth putting on repeat.

Guderski gets nostalgic on his original “Remember When” with beachy 2000s vibes. Produced by Tone Deff Media, they filmed the music video on a sandbar in the middle of the Columbia River. Pure blue skies and rippling waves capture the essence of the track. The band jams on the edge where waters collide, and the catchy chorus of twinkling bells gives way to a verse laden with regret. “Now I see what could’ve been all along, and the time I’ve wasted!” Shamy exclaims, breaking the somber tone with the most bombastic, satisfying riff on the album.

In an unexpected surprise, drummer Josh DeDiego takes up the lead with his original “Alexandria.” Reminiscent of Blind Melon’s Shannon Hoon, he sings an airy ballad full of altruistic resignation for a lost love. Although it breaks from the album’s supersonic pace, it’s a lovely track with delicate production and swooning melodies.

Getting back into gear, “Facedown” is reborn from Shamy’s previous project Fox 2 with fresh mixing by Guderski. The frisky guitar riff and in-your-face vocals talk of fast living and bad decisions. Shamy delivers a hollering, addicting chorus and fades out into the final track.

“8 Ball” takes a grandstand of epic proportions. “How many times I’ve watched them get caught up in it all,” the lyrics cry. Hypnotic interludes, apocalyptic chord progressions, two wailing guitar solos, and a bass solo form a grandiose finale to an eclectic record. With such diverse musicality on display, it leaves you wondering what’s to come from Silk Letdown.