Suffering from the winter blahs? If so, Summertime Sounds by the Silvers is sure to combat such weather-related woes.
Comprised of eight tracks, this EP from Earthwire Records peddles a potent ’60s and ’70s AM radio vibe, sliced of first-rate songcraft and construction. Focused and direct, the Silvers carpet these cuts with reels of incisive melodies, stimulating tempos and affable vocals pitched somewhere between the Beach Boys and America, with a dash of Beatles-esque inflections slipped in for added measure.
Wrapped in warm and easygoing reggae rhythms, “Good Old Summertime” conveys the sense and feel of the season with absolute conviction. Longer days, taking a walk, birds in trees and playing baseball are referenced, then the Silvers insert a bout of casual whistling into the catchy tune.
Equally inviting and scripted of encouraging prose, the bubbly “Keep On Believing” also proposes a reggae perspective, and “I’m On Your Side” keys in as a peppy and practical pop rocker carved of unruffled energy, jingling riffs and digging hooks.
Chiming piano passages, partnered with smooth and sunny textures are the tasty traits found in “Things are Looking Up,” which is further riddled with a cool Chicago-inspired horn arrangement. Performed at a mid-paced meter and proposing a swaying stance, “Evidently” is tinted with tippings of soul, and the dance hall-styled “Looking Good” prances merrily to a repertoire of jolly piano notes and smiling harmonies.
As for the history of the Silvers, the band is more or less an extension of Silver Laughter, a group from Davenport, Iowa that came together in 1969 and broke up in the late ’70s. Kingpins of the local scene, Silver Laughter issued two albums and a trio of singles during their tenure. Never to be forgotten, in 2014 the band was inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Several years ago, ex-Silver Laughter singer and bassist Mick Orton reactivated the group as the Silvers. Now operating out of the San Francisco Bay area, they’ve since released five studio albums and a pair of EPs, and are currently working on their next project.
Should Summertime Sounds be your introduction to the Silvers, give a listen to their other great records and count them as one of your favorite new groups.
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