Josh Epstein does not seem to be too upset that his band won’t be able to do a sound check before their performance at the Black Cat on Aug. 26. Only moments earlier he was informed in their small backstage dressing room that they will only have time to check the soundboard levels immediately before their show. Epstein gives a shrug and admits they were a little late, the result of driving all day from Boston.

Epstein is the lead singer and guitarist of the band, The Silent Years. He looks young, in his early twenties, and has a five o’clock shadow of a beard beginning. Dressed in a t-shirt and jeans there is a quiet nature about him that first resembles nervousness. However, a few minutes into the interview, this shyness dissipates. When answering questions, he usually gives a thoughtful pause before launching into his response.

Coinciding with the concert this night is the release of their second album, “The Globe.” The album has found critical acclaim despite a concurrent release date with several heavyweights, including The Verve’s new album, “Forth.” When mentioning the Verve, Epstein gives a wry smile saying that he’s heard that “The Globe” has received better reviews than “Forth.” But he quickly admits to rarely reading reviews. “If you read good reviews it’s easy for it to go to your head, but bad reviews make you feel like shit.”

When listening to “The Globe,” it is difficult to imagine how this complex and densely layered album came to fruition in a basement. The band’s keyboardist, Cassandra Verras, acknowledged this low fidelity approach allowed for a more organic creative process. With studios, she said, you are paying top dollar to squeeze out a great song on a deadline, but in the set-up they had, if band members wanted to lay down tracks at any time they could.

With a set-up that allowed for horns, string and other arrangements on “The Globe,” an obvious problem arose when it came to taking this album on the road. How could a five piece band perform songs that required more instruments than all of them could play at one time? At home in Detroit, there are musicians they can call on, but on the road they have to rely on themselves. Epstein and the group decided that variations would be necessary to maximize the energy of each song. In most cases, the versions that The Silent Years play are more upbeat to create a high-energy set.

Epstein was very strong in his feelings that touring is fundamental to the rock experience. He said that while high gas prices and other financial constraints, may affect the band’s bottom line, it should never prevent a group from hitting the road. “Bands who post in their blogs how promoters, venues or whatever are out to get them and result in [the bands] from touring less make me not want to support them.”

If money is the motivation of a band, then selling out is not what it used to be. Epstein recalls a decade ago when Pearl Jam drew a hard line in the sand when it came to licensing music. Somehow that line has become blurred and bands have found it more acceptable. Epstein found no problem with Feist becoming an overnight sensation due to an iPod commercial. Now she could afford to go out and make any type of album she wants and still be like, he said.

It is clear that The Silent Years are shooting for a larger audience than the one that half-filled the back room of the Black Cat. Lingering toward the rear of the small space, Epstein and his band members tried numerous techniques to coax the crowd to the front of the stage. At one point, all the band members except Epstein got off the stage and sat on the floor with tambourines “drumming” to the beat of a cover of the 4 Non Blondes’ song “What’s up?” Alone on-stage, Epstein’s voice rang out loudly over everyone, sounding like a dead ringer for Linda Perry. By the end of the song, the stage was empty as he descended into the crowd himself and the room filled with the voices of everyone singing along. This was an amazing moment from a band that knows how to work a room, regardless of its size.

There was something about the way members of the band threw themselves into the set that put this concert in a category apart from the typical fare that is served up by bands nowadays. At one point, Epstein turned on his jacket; it was covered with lights that blanketed him in an eerie green glow. Context is everything and it fit perfectly in the moment, coming across as neither pretentious nor too showy.

Drawing heavily from “The Globe,” the set including the album’s first single, On our way home. Other highlights included Out into the wild, Open up your eyes, and Black hole. As the show drew to a close and the band exited the stage, the crowd seemed to hold onto the energy that filled the room. The Silent Years may just be one of this year’s must-see bands.

They will be returning to DC Oct. 4 to perform at the Rock N’ Roll Hotel with These United States and Evangelicals.