It seems like the Silos were Americana before the country was discovered, merging punk-powered guitars with country and folk sensibilities—that means the songs share values with common people and not rock stars and people we think we’d like to be (if Britney wasn’t showing us how hard it is to live that life in a dignified way). The band has gone through enough lineup changes, albums and labels to find its reputation a little hazy these days, but with its Bloodshot Records’ debut, the Silos show why people should still pay attention.

The country in the songs sounds like Arizona by way of NYC—a touch of space and twang matched with hard, no-nonsense guitars and no-time-for-art lyrics. Age has been good for Walter Salas-Humara’s voice, taking a little of bigness out of it that once made it seem a little faux. Now he’s simply a credible narrator telling us the stories of people coming to grips with lives that didn’t turn out the way they thought they would.