A new year means new tunes from one of Dallas’s most arresting acts.
Silver Skylarks, the dynamic duo of Jeff “Skin” Wade and Danny Balis, is back with fresh songs, “Southern Calculus” and “Style Queen,” available on seven-inch vinyl and streaming digitally on Friday, Feb. 14.
You can pre-order the 45 here, as well as hear the two tracks.
“Southern Calculus” rides an infectious beat from musician-producer Jordan Richardson (who also mixed the track) laid down at Niles City Sound in Fort Worth. Arranged by Balis, it’s a retro-futuristic kick which points the way forward for the duo’s sonic sensibilities, moving beyond the 1970s-era soul so prominent on its 2024 debut, The Number One Set and Sound.
“We loved what we did with the first album, but we have a cooler new batch of tracks that take us into wildly new territory,” Wade said in a statement. “We still articulate that vintage sound that our influences created, but we’re on some whole other [expletive] now and it feels like the only place we could go if we wanted to be rooted in the same ethos but not repeat what we’ve already done. We’re stoked and can’t wait for people to hear it.”
The B-side of “Southern Calculus,” “Style Queen” indeed picks up that thread of blending a vintage mood with modern flourishes — funky, soulful and fueled by an addictive vocal loop, it’s a sure-fire party starter.
Silver Skylarks kicked the year off with a bang, dropping a Move Ya remix EP at the beginning of January (which you can listen to below). And, according to the band, another funky release is on deck for April, featuring a collaboration with an as-yet-unnamed “legendary jazz fusion pioneer,” per press materials.
Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT. Email him at preston@kxt.org or find him on Bluesky (@prestonjones.bsky.social).Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.
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