A Whisper In The Noise - Through The Ides Of March (2002)

A Whisper in the Noise is a musical project of rock composer West Thordson. Centered in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro, the group is known for their dark sound and unique instrumentation, as well as their effective live performances. Eschewing the more traditional use of guitar or heavy keyboards that might be associated with the band's umbral sound, the instrumentation of A Whisper in the Noise has included the cello, violin, French horn, synth/electronic keyboard, bass guitar, and percussion in some variation. The resulting minimalist expression, the unique arrangement of instruments, and the inclusion of visual media elements during live performance has seen the band described as "art rock."

The band's sound has been noted for fully incorporating the string and other orchestral instrumentation, a step different from similar rock and dark pop projects wherein strings are often added on as an afterthought or not given full room for expression and treated as integral elements within melodic musical structure. Other elements that mark the group's work are the inclusion of barely audible soundscapes of text (often derived from news broadcasts) and the persistence of slowly constructed piano arpeggios onto which other musical layers are added.

The themes dealt with lyrically are distinctly "dark" and keep with the tone of the music. The topics range from poetic reminiscences of lost or abandoned love, rage at cultural injustice, greed, and shallowness, and a kind of drifting melancholy that seems to hover on the edge of violence.