“Roots” is global roots rock at its very best: flavorful tunes with a melodic sensibility that anyone can enjoy, without forgetting the weird meters and lush chords that make music worth playing in the first place. If you filed it with your CDs of American music, you would put it right between Paul Simon, Rufus Wainwright, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, and Sting.

You could listen to the whole album and never think twice about the simmering stew of musical history that “Roots” is drawn from; you would just think “Hey, these are catchy tunes!” But if you listen with a careful ear, you will hear that “The Winky Smile” and “The Wishing Well” are samba songs; that “Last Train from Grand Central” and “Puddle Jumper” are bossa nova songs; that “Good Old Days” is a soukous song patterned on Congolese star Kanda Bongo Man; you will hear that “Song for Mo” is patterned on the chimurenga style of the Zimbabwean singer Thomas Mapfumo. You will hear the roots.

To make the album, Silas traveled the world looking for soul-moving melodies and rhythms. Then he came home, wrote the best 11 songs he’s ever written, played them with the most talented musicians he’s ever heard, and made the most infectious, funky, sweet, dancing, run-a-marathon, take-the-world-by-storm album that you could ever hope to hear.

“Roots” was recorded with Harlan Brothers (guitar), Jerrod Cattey (drums), Adam Cushner (saxophone and voice), Peter Meredith (organ), and Eric Meridiano (keyboards). Vic Steffens at Horizon Music Group engineered the recording. The cover art was created by Kate Kokontis. Lyrics to “The Winky Smile” and “Loyal to the Brand” were written by Ian Melchinger.