Excerpts from reviews on The Ocean of Sunken Dreams (published in 2010)
Rautalanka surf, a combination that seldom works, but The Silhouettes have pretty much dialed it in.
Judging by their second album, it’s also 11 great surf instrumentals, ranging from a great cover of Harlem Nocturne to originals like Guanche by Hank Marvin-insprired lead guitarist Eero Patari.
On this showing the band have matured considerably – just take a listen to “Harlem Nocturne” which is nothing short of magnificent just about the best version of this instrumental classic we’ve ever heard. Lots of different things happening in a superlative arrangement. In fact, it’s the arranging side that stands up on this album so much. You’d expect “Falling Leaves” to be ballad – it’s not it’s nicely uptempo. You’d expect Shadows clone sound all through – it’s not – listen to the mighty surf tones a la Dick Dale on “Surfin’ with the Sharks”. There’s a lot of that delightful Rautalanka guitar and crisp drumming and bass underneath which adds a lot. Far and away the group’s best album yet.
Turning to the covers, Falling Leaves and Night Bird are a stirring rautalanka pieces, strong on rhythm and melody and with beautiful echo lead sound. Andalucia (The Breeze and I) may be a very familiar tune but The Silhouettes have given it a sparkling new arrangement that enables the listener to enjoy it afresh – I love it…The seven minutes of Eero’s Post Scriptum finds him further exploring the lush sound and feel engendered in Harlem Nocturne and is a fitting finale to an album that has plenty of variety but hangs together very well indeed and will have a broad appeal.