By Joshua Wallace
I have been a fan of Mike and The Moonpies since their 2015 album Mockingbird. I didn’t get the chance to see them live however till 2019 and I’ve been hooked ever since. Any time a band changes their name, there’s going to be some controversy or backlash from the fan base. However, while some will always be reluctant to change, I feel like this was a good move. Mike and The Moonpies is a great name for a Texas band. However, they quickly became more than that and the band has evolved over the years. The sound is more progressive, the songs are faster and every year that passes this band becomes a tighter unit. So when the band changed their name to Silverada, it instantly clicked with me and I knew their upcoming self titled album would be huge. Now that the album is here, I can safely tell you, this is the best record they’ve done so far and I don’t think fans new or old will be disappointed.
The Moonpies played some of these songs live during their winter tour run while they were still the Moonpies and I could tell they were going in more of a rock direction with their sound. Think of this album as part Texas Country, part 90’s alt rock and even part prog rock (we’ll get to that in a bit). Mike has expanded on the 90’s alt rock vibes the band already had with their covers of Fastball and more recently The Wallflowers and is fully leaning into that sound. You can hear that influence in tunes like “Radio Wave” which sounds like it could have come out of 90’s rock radio. Then, the single “Wallflower” is an infectious dance tune for a rocking night at the local honky tonk.
You also have a tune like “Eagle Rare” that takes the band to different more progressive heights with a groove that will have everyone moving. I can already hear the band riffing on this one live in extended jams. Songs like “Stubborn Son” and “Stay By My Side” remind you that this is a country band first and foremost. It’s worth noting that “Stay By My Side” was recorded at Macon, GA’s Capricorn Studios which is a historical studio that has seen albums recorded by artists such as The Allman Brothers, The Marshall Tucker Band, Little Richard and even more recent names like Brent Cobb who does guest vocals on the rocking album cut “Something I’m Working On”. The album is rounded out with a slower jam called “Hell Bent For Leather ” that is the longest track on the record and finds the band stretching its legs in a cosmic slow jam to end the album.
I also have to mention that I got an early copy of the vinyl through the band’s “Producer’s Club” fundraiser they did earlier this year. This is an album you want on vinyl if you collect vinyl. You can tell this was mastered for vinyl and you can hear the attention to the sound stage in that mix that doesn’t come across the same way in digital formats. I like when bands go the extra mile so fans get the most out of the format they choose to listen to an album on and that is certainly the case with this record.
Silverada is an album that finds itself in an interesting position. This band is showing fans that they’re still the same band, but also moving their sound forward in a way that justifies the name change. If you’ve been to a live show from Mike and The Moonpies in the past couple of years, you could tell this band was going in a more rock direction with their country. They play songs faster and more amped up live and this album continues that vibe. I’m looking forward to catching the band as Silverada for the first time on July 5th, 2024 at the Ryman in Nashville for their headlining debut and album release show. Silverada is out everywhere you listen to music on June 28th, 2024.
Favorite Tracks : Radio Wave, Eagle Rare, Stubborn Son, Stay By My Side, Hell Bent For Leather
Silverada – Silverada (2024)
- Radio Wave
- Anywhere But Here
- Eagle Rare
- Doing It Right
- Stubborn Son
- Wallflower
- Stay By My Side
- Something I’m Working On
- Load Out
- Hell Bent For Leather
Find tour dates, buy the album and more at https://www.silverada.com/
