Los Straitjackets never needed lyrics to get their point across. For more than 30 years, they’ve let the reverb do the talking — masked up, plugged in, and forever committed to the raw thrill of instrumental rock & roll. Now, the cult-favorite combo returns with Somos Los Straitjackets, their first album of original material since 2012’s Jet Set, and it's a full-throttle reminder of why they've outlasted trends, labels, and even expectations.

From the sun-scorched crunch of “Polaris” to the slinky pulse of “Two Steps Ahead,” Somos surges with the band’s signature twang, tremolo, and tightly wound grooves. Tracks like “Spinout” and “High Wire Act” showcase their uncanny ability to craft hooks so infectious you start humming them before they’re even over. Produced with vintage finesse by Alex Hall (JD McPherson, The Cactus Blossoms) and loaded with new energy, Somos rides the wave of their roots while carving fresh lines into the sand.

But calling this “surf rock” only tells part of the story. Since founding members Danny Amis and Eddie Angel crossed paths with drummer Jimmy Lester at a Nashville club decades ago, Los Straitjackets have embodied a broader vision of instrumental music. Think the double-picking fire of Dick Dale, the swagger of Link Wray, the melodic muscle of the Ventures, the cinematic groove of Booker T., and the punk bite of the Cramps, all stitched together with a reverence for the early ‘60s combo sound that first lit the fuse.

That sound once caught the ear of Mike Campbell, who introduced Tom Petty to the band in a backstage dressing room in the late ’90s. “You gotta meet these guys,” he said. “They sound like the early Beatles… if they didn’t sing.” The band got it. It wasn’t a comparison to Lennon and McCartney. It was a tip of the hat to their commitment to the craft: two guitars, bass, and drums, speaking fluent rock & roll.

The lineup behind Somos — Angel, longtime bassist Pete Curry, drummer Chris Sprague, and Greg Townson — has been gigging steadily since Amis stepped back during his battle with multiple myeloma (which he’s now winning). Years of touring and recording with Nick Lowe helped shape the band's chemistry and sharpen their instincts. “Playing behind a master like Nick Lowe makes you laser-focused,” says Angel. “It’s made us very adept at coming up with twin guitar parts that complement each other.”

The album also includes a few re-recordings of remote pandemic-era tracks like Townson’s “Genesee River Rock” and Angel’s “April Showers” alongside a new version of “Spinout,” a cut from Angel’s side project the Neanderthals, now reimagined with the voice of SpongeBob, Tom Kenny, on vocals. There's also the biting “Numbskull," and the closer “Cry for a Beatle,” a tribute to “Cry for a Shadow,” the Beatles’ own early instrumental nod to the Shadows.