The Silos
When the Telephone Rings
Dualtone (Nashville)
By Zach Peterson
 The
Silos have been around forever. One of the many "pioneering"
bands to be dubbed alt-country, The Silos career has been an
uneven journey. With the release of Cuba in 1987, the
band established a high standard that they have never quite reached
again. When the Telephone Rings brings the band closer
to that pinnacle and, in this reviewer's mind, is a welcome return
to form.
<"The Only Love" opens the 11-track affair on the
right foot. Walter Salas-Humara's lyrics are sharp-caustic without
being too snide, and Amy Allison's backing vocals are reminiscent
of Victoria Williams, which gives the song an organic quality
it would lack otherwise. Salas-Humara sings:
Let's meet at the library
Then we won't have to talk
We'll stare a hole in the reading room
We'll tie a whole new knot
Sometimes the music is a full-frontal assault, driving guitars
with a slamming rhythm section that refuses to use restraint,
while on other tracks the band settles in and Mary Rowell's violin
soothes the onslaught of backbeat. This isn't to say The Silos
rocking out is a bad thing. "Don't Wanna Know" and
"Innocent" rev the 4/4 time up and go for the glory.
However, these songs work so well because "Whistled a Slow
Waltz" and "When the Telephone Rings" slow things
down and offer some needed reflection.
Telephone is a solid outing from a band that, despite
a few off years over the past decade and a half, creates quality
music. They may never reach the heights of Cuba (which
is highly recommended to those unfamiliar with this record),
but nonetheless cannot be ignored as a continually riveting little
rock and roll band.
www.thesilos.net
Contact Zach Peterson at zapper-at-rockzilla.net
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