Review: Wille and the Bandits’ album “Salt Roots” combines rock and blues influences

along to the battle cry. “Take my shoulder” tones it down slightly but is rather anthemic in its vocal-heavy choruses. As the title suggests, the theme is empathy.

Edwards borders on rapping on the visceral “Know my name.” Remarkably, the band turns mostly acoustic in “Sail away (Mayflower) with resonating flourishes of lap steel as Edwards touches on the journey of the famous ship. The band shows even more versatility, venturing into Latin rock on “Reina del mar,” to these ears, the album’s most interesting track. The track, a love letter to the ocean, translates in Spanish as “Queen of the sea.” Edwards says, “I wrote the initial riff around 10 years ago while travelling around Cuba and listening to some of the Buena Vista Social Club members still playing in Havana. I always loved how Ry Cooder brought slide guitar influences over the top of the band… However, it wasn’t until I was on tour with a few days off in Galicia, Spain, knocking around and waiting for some surf to appear, that the idea of Maria came about… the song started to develop, as I felt the chorus needed to be in Spanish. The song is about waiting for the sea to show its magic.” Mackaill shifts the double bass, and Harris’s feel for Latin percussion is impressive in this surprisingly restrained track.

Wille and the Bandits close on an infectious note, with the swaying “Homeward Bound” (not sure why the second word is capitalized when few of the others are). Edwards’s slide guitar skills are perhaps best displayed here. The band demonstrates power, versatility, and thoughtful themes. The comparisons to classic rock are a stretch, except for Wille’s powerhouse vocals. Yet, we have by turns roaring, stirring, and intimate contemporary roots rock. Salt Roots proves that the hype for the band’s live shows is credible. So far, the tour dates are confined to the UK. Let’s hope a stateside tour is forthcoming soon.