The would-be next album, "Dear Tommy" (2016), was scrapped, and was meant to be re-worked for a subsequent release, however the fate of album is unclear, as on August 10, 2021, Ruth Radelet, Adam Miller and Nat Walker announced the breaking up of Chromatics. Later that day the label, Italians Do It Better, and Johnny Jewel's representative, also confirmed the breakup. Their last album is "Closer to Grey" (2019), which has a companion album, "Faded Now" (2020).
The band originally hailed from Seattle and formed in 2002 as a quartet featuring vocalist Adam Miller, drummer Hannah Blilie, guitarist Devin Welch, and bassist Michelle Nolan. That lineup debuted in 2002 with a Calvin Johnson-produced 7" on Gold Standard Laboratories -- a split with Die Monitr Batss -- and followed with the similarly GSL-issued Chrome Rats vs Basement Ruts LP.
While Chrome Rats was critically hailed, Chromatics couldn't keep it together, and Miller was soon the only member in good standing (Blilie, Welch, and Nolan went on to form the similar-sounding Shoplifting). Unworried, Miller added guitar and drum programming to his vocal duties and tapped bassist Nat Sahlstrom for the 2003 GSL 7" Ice Hatchets. That was followed by the February 2004 full-length Plaster Hounds (which featured the percussion work of Get Hustle's Ron Avila), and a repositioning of the Chromatics axis to greater reflect its dub and no wave influences.
This lineup too dissolved and Adam Miller relocated Chromatics to Portland, teaming up with Glass Candy's Johnny Jewel, Ruth Radelet on lead vocals, and Nat Walker on percussion and saxophone. The new lineup of Chromatics had a more lo-fi electronic sound as opposed to the earlier dub and no-wave sounds.
The Sound of Silence
Chromatics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence
Narrow streets of cobblestone
Beneath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed
By the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence
And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence
Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
"The Sound of Silence" by Chromatics is a beautiful cover of the original song by Simon & Garfunkel. The lyrics in this song express feelings of isolation and disconnect in society. The song begins with the line, "Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you again." This line sets the somber tone of the song, as the singer is talking to darkness, which could symbolize their inner turmoil or even death.
The second line depicts how the singer has come to talk to darkness once again. This suggests that the singer has had these feelings of disconnect before and has possibly even found solace in darkness in the past. The "vision softly creeping" could be interpreted as a haunting memory or thought that has been lingering in their mind.
The next stanza describes the singer walking alone in "narrow streets of cobblestone" and the contrast between the "halo of a street lamp" and the "cold and damp." This could be interpreted as a metaphor for the singer feeling trapped in their own thoughts and unable to find their way in the world. The "flash of a neon light" could be a symbol of the harsh reality that wakes them up from their dream-like state and reminds them of the sound of silence, the emptiness in their soul or society.
In the final stanza, the singer describes "ten thousand people, maybe more" who are "talking without speaking" and "hearing without listening." This might be a metaphor for the superficial nature of communication and relationships in modern society, where people talk but don't communicate or listen to each other. The line "people writing songs that voices never share" could even represent the singer's own attempt to connect with others through music, yet feeling that their message is not being truly heard or understood.
Overall, The Sound of Silence is a powerful song that speaks to the deeper human emotion of the need for connection and how the modern world has stifled that. It's a reminder to be present, listen and truly connect to those around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello darkness, my old friend
Greeting the familiar feeling of emptiness or depression
I've come to talk with you again
Seeking solace and comfort in the darkness
Because a vision softly creeping
Referring to a thought or idea that gradually entered the mind
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
The idea was implanted while the mind was unconscious
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Reflecting on the idea that took root in the mind
Still remains
The idea still lingers and affects the mind
Within the sound of silence
The idea exists and thrives in the absence of communication or noise
In restless dreams I walked alone
Experiencing feelings of loneliness and isolation while dreaming
Narrow streets of cobblestone
A metaphorical setting for feeling trapped and confined
Beneath the halo of a street lamp
Illuminated by a lonely source of light
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
Reacting to the harsh conditions of the environment
When my eyes were stabbed
Suddenly experiencing a jarring sensation
By the flash of a neon light
A colorful source of light that momentarily overshadows the darkness
That split the night
An unexpected occurrence that disrupts the stillness of the night
And touched the sound of silence
Even the brief disturbance affects the quiet and introspective atmosphere
And in the naked light I saw
In a state of vulnerability, seeing things clearly
Ten thousand people, maybe more
Observing a large crowd, possibly representing society as a whole
People talking without speaking
People communicating without truly connecting or understanding each other
People hearing without listening
Not taking the time to truly absorb or comprehend what is being said
People writing songs that voices never share
Creating art that may never be appreciated or understood by others
And no one dared
Despite the obvious disconnect, no one takes the initiative to change it
Disturb the sound of silence
Preferring to maintain the status quo and avoiding confrontation or change
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lodogg 3323
Just out of curiosity, why didn’t you finish the song?
"Fools" said I, "You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you"
But my words like silent raindrops fell
And echoed
In the wells of silence
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls"
And whisper'd in the sounds of silence
I love this version, but it’s incomplete and it’s driving me crazy.
Jimmy Foppiano
This song will be remembered for years as long as talented performers such as Chromatics keep singing it.
andy f
Jimmy Foppiano and Sadhgurus song he made about the Coronavirus 🙏🏻
serdar sormaz
undisputed this is the best cover ever... love you chromatics ❤️ good job again
Italians Do It Better Music
xoxo
poeha007
"De Verraders" (a Dutch television show) brought me here. Such a brilliant haunting song, and voice.
tar0
Ruth's voice would go so well with 'Baby It's You'
I often imagine that when listening to the song
eckso
Heard someone play it in the car.. had to add this to my playlist, phenomenal!
แม่บ้านฮอลันดา MaeBaan Hollanda
I really really love this version.
Thank you so much for create the best version. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Sonny 86
Shivers down the spine. A great cover of a great song ❤️
T H
De Verraders, a Dutch television show, translated as the traitors. They use this song when one player is about to be banned. Never heard such beauty, to my bones, i was blown away...