There are few quicker ways to get into my heart than putting a guitar solo in your intro.
It says, “Let’s go, we’re here and we’re ready to rock,” and given that’s how Sons of Silver choose to start “Runaway Emotions,” it rather reinforces the point.
The trashy rock and roll of “Tell Me This” is a hell of an opener, too, but the rest of it has class written all the way through it as well.
“Just Getting Started” is cut from a slightly different cloth, a big arena rocker befitting an outfit about to go out on the road with Myles Kennedy, but if “Giving It Back” owes a debt to The Cult, then no one here will baulk at the comparison.
As the record progresses, it’s a study in ambition and class. The single “Running Out of Words” belongs on stages as big as its dreams. There’s even a touch of U2 here; unashamed of scale, it’s a brooding, slow builder.
But the thing about Sons of Silver is that they sound like they are having fun, too; the handclaps and whiff of debauchery aren’t far away from “Baby Hang On,” which urges a party before the end of the world.
And at its heart, this is a hard rock record. “Ghosts” sounds tough, and its lyrics (which appear to come from a place of pain) reflect that.
Yet, somehow, some bands can do this seemingly without trying; these songs just have an extra ingredient that makes them sound “big.” Take “Nobody Minds,” for example. It’s an almost perfect example of what US rock has always been built on, but it does its thing in a very modern way.
Then, occasionally, seemingly out of nowhere, the handbrake comes off, and things get downright sleazy. “Warming Signs” just sounds cool—a real injection of energy, and lead man Peter Argyropoulos (also the singer) sounds like he’s really enjoying himself. To his credit, he and the rest of the band (including Kevin Haaland, who was once in Skillet; Adam Kury of Candlebox; and Marc Slutsky, who drummed for Peter Murphy, among others) don’t fancy being tied down, which is why “Hold Tight” comes from such a different place.
Not as different, though, as “Friends.” A piano ballad with Brina Kabler to the fore on the piano, there’s a touch of Soul Asylum about it at times, and this type of grown-up thing is one of those moments.
That one closes the record, and it’s somewhat incongruous to think that this is their debut album, given that their debut EP emerged in 2020.
Perhaps because of the experience of all concerned (Argyropoulos was in the band The Last December as well as performing as Pete RG), “Runaway Emotions” never feels like a debut. This is not a band trying to find its feet.
Instead, this is fully fledged and it sees Sons of Silver start their bid for gold.
Rating 8.5/10
REVIEW: SONS OF SILVER – RUNAWAY EMOTIONS (2025)
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