€ 14,90*
For bandleader, mastermind, singer/songwriter/guitarist Walter Salas-Humara, his band The Silos has become a true family over the five decades of its existence. Only at the beginning, in the 1980s, could one speak of a relatively stable lineup, and then again around the turn of the millennium. Otherwise, constant lineup and location changes determined the Silos‘ activities, depending on the current life situation of this ever-so-infinitely charismatic and likeable musician from New York City with Cuban roots, who also successfully pursues painting – for example, with his iconic, abstract animal paintings, often the subject of special art exhibitions. Musically, Salas-Humara mostly pursued solo careers in the decade before Corona, releasing several strong albums that, stylistically, didn’t stray too far from the familiar Silos sound: this clever, memorable mix of indie/guitar pop with traces of Velvet Underground, Television and Feelies, as well as the alt-country rock that flourished in the 80s, based on everything from the Byrds to the Flying Burritos. With ‚Family,‘ the first Silos album since ‚Florizona‘ (2011), Walter Salas-Humara solidifies his status as an important figure in the independent scene and an influencer of the Alt.Americana/No Depression scene. Despite widely scattered recording sessions in New York, Austin, the Midwest, and Germany, despite the inclusion of no fewer than 20 musicians, all contributing to the
global Silos family, and despite the conditions created by the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, which meant that most musicians recorded their parts in isolation, the result is a very cohesive and compact-sounding album with a strong rock factor. The pounding opener ‚My Favorite Animal‘, the riff-driven ‚The Right Palace‘, and the complex acoustic/electric ballad ‚Dreaming Of Paris‘ provide a great start, followed by the powerful ‚Colorado River‘, the ’60s-style garage rocker ‚Snow King‘, and the super-melodic acoustic anthem ‚The Spanish Man‘. After the concise one-riff guitar rock of ‚Rocking And Raging‘ and ‚Dominico Del Vecchio Lane‘, a story song dominated by tricky guitar lines, the Cuban section of the Silos catalog receives a potent addition with the Spanish-sung ‚Puede Ser‘. ‚Love And Trust And Friends‘ scores highly as a finale with wonderfully airy, sun-drenched pop over a relaxed R&B groove, including duet vocals by fellow band member Jerry Joseph. This results in 44 minutes of 10 new tracks composed by Salas-Humara (some with family members), all of which bear the exquisite Silos seal of approval and will take their deserved place in the Silos cosmos! The family includes such familiar names as guitarists Eric Kassel, Jose Reyes, Erik Sanden, and Jason Victor (Steve Wynn/Dream Syndicate), Bruce Martin and Jonathan Rundman on various keyboards, the German rhythm section of Robert Poeschl and Max Gruber, the American rhythm section with Rod Hohl and Konrad Meissner, Jerry Joseph drummer Steve Drizos, and the backing vocals of Cynthia Keefe and old companion from the Vulgar Boatmen days, Dale Lawrence.
