By Joey Frendo

It would be easy to push The Shilohs’ newest record into the corner with all the other dusty records that sounds like something your dad would listen to. That would be your first mistake. The self-titled The Shilohs is not your father’s dad-rock album. With a refreshing infusion of blues, beach-wave, and folk sounds that are paced by a consummate and classic pop-rock vibe, this album does more than enough modern to merit a place in your listening rotation.

Staying true to their catchy hooks and concise lyricism, “Student of Nature” starts the record as almost an ode to their old school roots, as a The Beatles and Beach Boys can almost be heard echoing in perfect pop harmonies with the band. Adding a wide array of instrumentation, including crazed psychedelic happenings in “Strange Connections” and “Queen Light Queen Dark” to more traditionally Shilohs’ staples like the pop harmonized sounding “Champagne Days” to expansive piano-and-string ballads like “Bless Those Boys,” this record has an edge to it that emphatically states that it is a different animal from the band’s freshman release So Wild. Songs like “Ordinary People” and “Days of Wine” really allow you to settle into the record as these folk-tinged numbers evoke Bob Dylan and Tom Petty-like vocals that return listeners to a simpler time. Less like The Shilohs’ sound their fans have come to know to know and love, the new variety is a welcomed departure and not a step off the deep-end. As the band brilliantly toes the line between a fully-developed, diversely realized sound and a manic record that has no direction, it is easy to see how influences such as Real Estate have guided them to a mature place far beyond their years. The songwriting in this release really sticks out, as the lyrics convey a pensive all-knowingness that is consciously backed by slick guitar riffs that invite listeners to discover what the band already knows.

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While this band might not be coming to you via radio waves anytime soon, The Shilohs are excellent musicians who play meaningful but compelling music; they draw you in with catchy sounds and keep you coming back with keen lyrics that hit close to home. As recent releases such as Ray Lamotagne’s “Supernova” suggests, psychedelic seems to be in, which bodes well for this release as well. Bands like The National and Real Estate have set the tone for dad-rock icons that are nationally prevalent, and there is no shortage of talent within The Shilohs’ quartet that says that can’t do the same. If that is what is on The Shilohs mind, this newest record is certainly a step in the right direction.

Score: 4/5

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