CD review: Delta Spirit’s ‘History From Below’
By Associated Press on Jul. 21, 2010
Enjoyable but uneven, Delta Spirit’s sophomore release, “History From Below,” opens on a resounding note, with drummer Brandon Young vigorously booting the track “9/11” into motion.
What distinguishes the twangy rant isn’t the lyric, a routine broadside aimed at warmongering, among other things (“We’ll turn the Marlboro man into a Marine / The brave youth will come from far and wide / With 9/11 as a battle cry”), but the San Diego quintet’s crackling attack and rousing harmonies.
From that point on, lead vocalist-guitarist Matthew Vasquez and the band’s unvarnished charms are the chief reasons to keep listening.
Mind you, the rewards are more abundant when Vasquez has something to shout about, as on the soul-stirring anthem “Bushwick Blues,” or when he’s busy unfurling a long narrative based on real events (the closing “Ballad of Vitaly”). When problems arise, tiresome Dylanesque allusions (“Devil Knows You’re Dead”) or a mopey combination of sentimentality and introspection are usually to blame.
For all his passion and swagger, Vasquez certainly can’t do much with this toss-away verse: “Someday darling maybe / You could be my baby / Until then I’ll be waiting / At my lonesome white table.”
The album ultimately delivers more hits than misses while managing to balance the band’s literary ambitions and rootsy allure. It’s an impressive effort, lulls and all.
Kindred Spirits: My Morning Jacket, Wilco, the Black Keys
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