Silver Scrolls

Silver Scrolls work to elevate the simple act of walking into a microcosm of introspection, providing a soundtrack to clear your head or parse the infinite. The band probably didn’t think the album would land this presciently, but here we are in the grip of 2020 and the walk itself has become a necessity in cloistered times while also transforming into a moment that’s more prepared for than impromptu. The band, which boasts ex-Polvo members Dave Brylawski and Brian Quast doesn’t take the predicted route in association with introspective space. When I’d first heard that the title was Music For Walks, thoughts of ambient headspace immediately cropped into view, but the pair crib from their wheelhouse of psych, math, and angled indie instead.

The album is hardly reduced to a shade of background music, though they work to employ a certain hypnotic quality in the riffs. While Polvo is the name that sticks out most on paper, Brylawski’s songwriting here might more align with the psych-blues of Black Taj, which had a short run on Amish Records in the early Aughts. Blending some of the textures of Polvo, with the exploratory blues model of Taj, he lets the album wind in a sort of steam of consciousness feeling that moves from heavy amplifier curdle to delicate finger work and introspective ruminations. I feel like (if such a thing as commutes existed anymore) this one would have made a good Music for Commutes as well. The centering quality is good for getting the head straight whether its for the numbness of Capital servitude or a good 40 minutes through the neighborhood. These days, any even keel is appreciated, and this is an asset for ballast.

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