For years, Walter Salas-Humara has split his time between making music and visual art, so it’s not surprising that Walterio, The Silos co-founder’s August 10 release on Rhyme & Reason Records, contains rich imagery — both lyrically and on its cover. But one of the strongest images it evokes actually comes from the music itself, which might be described as the sonic equivalent of a tree — a rock ’n’ roll family tree.
Tracks such as “Here We Go,” “She’s a Caveman” and “Out of the Band” can trace lineage back to the Silos, the still-kicking band Salas-Humara co-founded in New York’s post-punk ’80s scene. Playing alt-country before anyone called it that, they were named Best New Artist in the 1987 Rolling Stone Critics Poll — which temporarily deep-sixed Salas-Humara’s art-career plans.
These songs also recall the punk-edged roots rock of the True Believers, which featured Salas-Humara’s pals Alejandro Escovedo and Jon Dee Graham (a Silos contributor), and the Setters, once labeled “a cult-favorite roots-rock supergroup,” in which Salas-Humara played with Escovedo and the Bad Seeds’ Michael Hall. The muscular musical spirits of Chuck Prophet, another Silos guest, and Bruce Springsteen also permeate the album, which branches into upbeat pop-rock (“El Camino de Oro”), throwback teen pop (“I Want to Be With You”) and bluesy soul (the vaguely Ray Davies-reminiscent “Should I Wait for Tomorrow”).
Salas-Humara was made in Cuba, too, but born in America. (The album’s title is his Hispanic nickname.) He spent a good chunk of his Florida childhood studying drums, which, of course, led to teenage rock ’n’ roll bands. Then he got into jazz, and prog-rock. When punk hit, Salas-Humara was studying art at the University of Florida at Gainesville — Tom Petty country — and playing in a jazz-funk band.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the album’s second track, “Here We Go”. The song kicks off like many trips, with Salas-Humara singing “I’ll meet you at the airport…” before the strum of an electric guitar cuts in and the song takes off as he lyrically tackles the build-up of a big journey. From here we are off as Salas-Humara captures the intensity and joy of being on the go, exploring new cultures, and having little responsibilities other than to make it to your next destination. Set to a soundtrack that is exuberant and hopeful with no shortage of guitar, “Here We Go” is a straight up rock and roll celebration of life from a guy who has experienced his fair share of it.
In his own words, Walter Salas-Humara has this to say about the song:
“This is an ode to the love of travel and worldly experience, both cultural and natural – to the freedom of the road and all the good will that can be spread if one simply just gets out there and does it. The choruses name check many spots that world traveling hipsters, activists, surfers and adventurers are influencing and being influenced by, from the Mentawai Islands of Indonesia to the jungles of the Amazon, from the cafes of Europe to the temples of Cambodia, from the markets of North Africa to the deserts of New Mexico.”
LISTEN:
Walterio is out on August 10. For more music and info visit waltersalashumara.com.
Photo credit:Jean Fordyce