The Silos: Laser Beam Next Door

From his interviews, lead Silo Walter Salas-Humara appears to dislike being associated with folk or roots music. Which, for anyone, who has ever heard the Silos in their decade, long history, is certainly an odd thing to say.

he Silos, now stripped down to a trio in the last couple of years — now with bassist Drew Glackin and drummer Konrad Meissner supporting Salas-Humara — have had a critically acclaimed, if commercially spotty career, delivering music informed by the influences of classic Stones-style rock, Velvets/R.E.M. folk, and Austin country. Throw in the folk rock and power pop inspirations of The Byrds and Big Star and the picture is almost complete.

I say almost because, as the latest Silos effort will testify, despite Salas-Humara’s obvious debt to folk and roots music, there is much more going on in his approach to modern music making. What about “Satisfied”, an obvious wink to the Rolling Stones circa Sticky Fingers? Or the easy ska rhythmic “Drunken Moon”, which demonstrates the Silos’ eclectic advantage? Or the Tex-Mex inflections of “Sangre Y Lagrimas”, to name but three examples. Elsewhere, the lusty rocking “Where Ya Been”, the atonal chord structural “I Believe”, the rustic funky “The Title of This Song”, the garage riffing “Four on the Floor”, the bluesy “One World” and hard rock veneer of “Wookey Do” suggest that the Silos are cut from the same roots-inflected rock that inform the sublime work of other like-minded bands like Cracker.

Tightly focused and fiercely confident in their own abilities, The Silos prove with Laser Beam Next Door that despite Salas-Humara’s reservations, there is no shame in The Silos flying that roots rock flag for all to recognize and revere.