Following a demo tape (that was subsequently turned into a 12” ep by Germany’s Through Love Records) and a split 7” with the similarly epic Human Future, Holy Roar was left floored by the bands enthrallingly intense live representations of their recorded work to date. Subsequently, we now we arrive at debut album ‘Silently, I Threw Them Skyward’. Whilst perhaps now a clich?, this really is a journey of a record – unafraid to be gloriously melodic, catchy and direct (‘shadows in hibernation’), spookily cinematic (‘you will sleep now, Yourko’) or serenely heavy (the dual/duel bass guitar driven ‘tasting paralysis’). Expertly woven together by Sean Mahon's vocal delivery (alternating between brittle anguish and reflective melodies) and lyrics - ‘Silently, I Threw Them Skyward’ is an intricate puzzle that will hurt, punish, comfort and uplift. Like all the best music should. Whilst some band spend their entire existence trying to convey emotion, We Never Learned To Live have harnessed an effortless emotional weight with their music. In a sea of bands desperate to sound more troubled and angst-ridden than the last, WNLTL have one simple advantage up their collective sleeve: sincerity. Sure, they manage to try and hide behind gloriously ornate, obtuse artwork and poetic songtitles, but at the beating heart of this band is a tangibly raw, universal emotional content
