Following the success of their first album: The Gallows Pole, based on the novel by Benjamin Myers and soon to be a major BBC drama written and directed by Shane Meadows, The Shining Levels return with a full-length album based upon award winning author Pat Barker’s novel The Silence of the Girls.
Pat Barker herself approached the group suggesting they give her novel a similar treatment, very much enjoying the synergy of music and literature.
The Silence of the Girls is an electrifying revision of The Iliad which for the first time gives voice to the women enslaved by the Greek army headed by the god-like warrior Achilles, through the main character Briseis.
Whilst still retaining their core alt folk sensibilities, The Silence of the Girls is a sprawling soundscape of songs ranging from the orchestral through psychedelic pop and ethereal pastoral ballads and beyond, tipping its hat to a myriad of musical influences and styles. All delivered with the drama and exquisite vocal harmonies The Shining Levels are known for.
The Silence of the Girls will be released by the Butterfly Effect label in Autumn 2022.
