Alex Coley & Afterlove - “Silent in my Car”

Photo by Katy Maclachlan

On this day, we are thankful for the sounds of Nova Scotia-based Alex Coley & Afterlove, providing heartfelt music in one of our favorite venues: the automobile. Coley penned “Silent in my Car” to the tune of a lost relationship. Most of us have been there, and while that can often lead to hours behind the wheel, driving to nowhere, Coley writes about longing to sit silently in the company of a former lover.

If you’ve never heard the sounds of Alex Coley & Afterlove, this tune is a fantastic introduction, though we suggest that you immediately check out “Courage and Crime” once you’ve finished here. “Silent in my Car” begins stripped-back and raw as hell, with an acoustic guitar setting the introspective tone. Coley’s vocal soon appears, emotionally authentic as he purges the ghosts of the past. His voice bears a tone that permeates conviction, as it is not at all difficult to believe that he trusts the listener enough to share the details of his story.

“Silent in my Car” would work quite successfully as a simple folk song, but the rest of the band is here as well. And around a minute deep, we hear the soft fade of an ethereal ambience that makes way for some glimpses of percussion. The production begins to rise and swell, carrying with it the glorious layers of vocal harmonies. By midpoint, the song has transformed into a fully fleshed performance, reaching the peak of a crescendo that is bound to stir up your forgotten emotions.

This is definitely one for the playlists themed around lost loves and missing friendships. “Silent in my Car” not only checks off our boxes with its arrangement and production, but it completely nails the emotional content that we so often seek in the realm of indie folk.

-HD