There’s an infinite amount of music out there supposedly designed to help you relax or meditate or drift off to sleep. But how many albums do you come across that are apparently intended as the soundtrack for a good walk? And one made by two members of Chapel Hill indie-rock vets Polvo to boot?
Assuming that guitarist Dave Brylawski and multi-instrumentalist Brian Quast aren’t just staging some elaborate joke, their new concept album Music For Walks is purportedly designed to be just what the title states. And truth be told, even if they are just kidding, the disc handily fills the bill anyway — thanks to lengthy, flowing tracks anchored by midtempo beats and topped with appropriate lyrics, melodies and vocals that keep you interested without overly distracting you. Whether you’re on a brisk inner-city trek accompanied by one of the more vibrant and propulsive cuts or lazily rambling in a rural setting while spinning one of the patiently unfurling entries, this would make a fine accompaniment for your daily constitutional, neighbourhood stroll or casual hike. Of course, should you not be into that sort of thing, the set’s mostlu mellow ambience, unhurried pacing and unobtrusive approach work just as well if you’re standing still, comfortably seated or fully reclined.
THE PRESS RELEASE: “We are not butterflies. Or snakes or crabs, or things that molt with biological clockwork to become something better. For how advanced humans are on the evolutionary ladder, we are awfully clumsy when it comes to catharsis. Epiphanies are elusive, God is busy, and an “a ha!” moment is a particularly obnoxious talk-show construct begging to be buried alive. For the majority of us personal growth has always been incremental at best. Yes, change can be accelerated by tragedy or a balls-out Rumspringa, but for the most part we are psychological recidivists doomed to repeat the worst parts of our family history and flop around in the muddy circumstances in which we find ourselves. So, what can we do for ourselves to become something better? Short of diving headfirst into years of psychodynamic therapy or taking a cross-country drive with a loyal dog in a bandana, what tangible steps can we take towards personal betterment? Let’s start with taking actual steps. No, really – let’s start by taking a walk. A tiny, rejuvenating journey to clear our heads, do some reflecting and perhaps make a decent decision or two. A good walk can get us from here to there. And a good walk can be a great one when paired with the right soundtrack. Lord knows there’s been plenty of music that’s perfect for driving and dancing and exercising and sexing and getting pumped up for a gang fight. But finally, finally, there’s a record made for the simple act of taking a walk and its title even tells you what’s up. Prepare yourself for Music for Walks by Silver Scrolls. Silver Scrolls is comprised of Dave Brylawski (guitar, vocals) and Brian Quast (drums, vocals, guitars, bass, organ). Dave was in Polvo, Idyll Swords and Black Taj. Brian played drums with the second iteration of Polvo as well as The Cherry Valance and Vanilla Trainwreck. Together, they have made the ultimate jaunt jam, a ‘light’ concept album divided into Walk One and Walk Two. As a whole the album through its multiple movements takes the listener from the heart of the city to the crisp mountain air, inviting you to walk, drifting in and out of your own reverie, methodically working your way further away from the trouble you came from and closer to where you want to be. Sonically, Music for Walks explores the entire rock landscape, reflective of Dave and Brian’s own musical paths. There are moments of pop harmonies, blues-based psychedelic rock, math-y what-the-fucks in alt tunings, organ drones and 4 minute percussive interludes. The record feels at once retro and modern, reflective of what it’s like to be an adult in 2020, trying to find a way to keep it all together. Music For Walks is, like all good walks, simultaneously introspective, expansive, psychological, rambling and ethereal. Like most of us, the record is equally in awe of nature’s beauty and smitten by the cities that have come to surround it. The album also acknowledges that, like most of us, anxiety and uncertainty can enter our minds and our environments. But the walk is still worth it. Solvitur ambulado: ‘It is solved by walking’. Sure, we are not beautiful like butterflies. But those idiots can’t walk. Put on Music for Walks, open the door, and see where Silver Scrolls can take you.”
