REVIEW : Silverlites - MOJO

Here’s one this supergroup featuring members of R.E.M., The Black Crowes and Screaming Trees made earlier.

Silverlites first glimmered when Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin recorded Peter Buck and Rich Robinson’s acoustic-guitar writing summit at Nashville hotel The Hermitage in 2019. Singer-songwriter/established Buck foil Joseph Arthur joined on vocals for this self-titled debut, completed in 2021 then sequenced by Silverlites’ fan Mark Lanegan prior to his death in 2022. 

With shades of The Byrds (No One To Follow), Led Zeppelin III (When You’re Around) and ’60s garagepsych (No More), there’s a classicism to the fairly commercial, full-band arrangements, vibraphone a subtle feature. Buck and Robinson’s respective guitar leads are easily differentiated, Buck bringing Forever And A Day’s electric 12-string, and Robinson adding fine, spontaneous-sounding leads to Need To Fly and Still Don’t Know You. 

Arthur – a lesser-known but able talent from baritone to rich falsetto – also shines.

James McNair