Silent Dance 2-disc 'definitive edition'
By the time the debut album was recorded, Solstice were already seasoned
veterans of countless gigs throughout Britain, being staples of the then-thriving
club and university circuit and equally at home on the stages of major
festivals. It is striking, then, that Silent Dance is so emphatically
a studio album. From the staccato opening of Peace to the jazz-tinged
coda of Find Yourself, the album has a glacial quality. The rough, folky
edges were replaced by a sleek ambience, sometimes intimate (Earthsong),
elsewhere thrillingly expansive (Sunrise). Mark Elton’s violin was
reigned in as atmospheric keyboards gained prominence, generally leaving
centre stage to Sandy Leigh’s vocals and Andy Glass’s guitar.
Dynamic foundations are provided by Martin Wright’s percussion and
Mark Hawkins’ bass, though the one criticism of the album is that
this latter lacks presence in the mix.
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