Silos

Take it from me,When the Telephone Rings, answer it damn it. That is, only if you want to hear one of the year’s best alt-country, in-your-face rock records. The Silos — the brain-trust of singer-songwriter Walter Salas-Humara — is a power trio that also features Drew Glackin on bass and Konrad Meissner on drums. For its latest release, these three are joined by a collection of musical friends that augment the Silos’ sound and makes them rock harder than ever right from the opening track, "The Only Love.” On this blistering single, Amy Allison provides heartache-filled harmony vocal on the chorus and Paul Wallfisch adds another musical element with his accomplished organ playing. Here, Salas-Humara offers a few great lines on love and communication, especially this one: "Let’s meet at the library/ Then we won’t have to talk.” Salas-Humara’s songwriting is as stripped down and as straight as ever, but that’s what makes his poetic songs work. Later, in some of Salas-Humara’s more direct lyrics you feel his struggle with commercialism and selling out on one of the disc’s best tracks — "Whistled a Slow Waltz.” With Crazy Horse-like guitar riffs and Bob Dylan’s lyrical sensibility, the Silos latest is the album that should raise them from an underground band with a loyal following to the mainstream, and that’s a good thing.