Delta Spirit Into The Wide [album review]

Published: September 16, 2014

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Delta Spirit worked their way into our hearts with their passionate brand of Americana via their first two albums – Ode To Sunshine & History From Below. I can still remember the first time I saw them at Buffalo Billiards at SXSW. It was a midnight show on Saturday night and I was flat out exhausted; but wound up skipping down 6th after that set. On their last album, their self-titled third, the band tried to veer away from Americana and shift into a more indie pop sound. To be honest, I had mixed feeling about at first until they came in for a session and their subsequent set at Lolla.

Into The Wide found the band shifting from California to recording in Brooklyn, in what happened to be a Sandy-ravaged space named The Rat Cave. While the last album felt like a transitional album at parts; almost like they were feeling their way through their new sound, they’ve nailed it with Into The Wide. It has this sound that seems made for big venues but with enough grit to keep ‘em honest. It pulses with energy but is a little dark at points.

The album opens with Push It which is some of lead singer’s Matt Vazquez’s best work. It is a track about perseverance. The track pushes forward with only the synths acting in a weigh as to not the let the track cave in on itself. The emotion that Vazquez brings to their live shows is on full display here. I would be remiss if I didn’t say that Kelly Winrich’s work on the synth/keys is top-notch here as well and throughout the album. In fact the whole album is a textbook example of how to use synths in a rock album.

The band then delivers a trio of songs that ramp things up with From Now On, Live On and Take Shelter. Live On, in particular, is a great tune about overcoming bullying. Oz (remember him) commented that Take Shelter sounded like a U2 tune, you know before they started force-feeding dreck into your Itunes. William McLaren is getting some sweet tones out of guitar during these tracks.

The album closes with a couple of winners in War Machine and The Wreck. War Machine is defiant and a nod to their folkie origins. It is a perfect blend of the origins of the band with the band they are. The Wreck sounds live a tune that would close a National album with its swirling synths.

There’s a good article about them on Paste where Vazquez makes a comment about being known more as a great live band with good albums. If they made Into The Wide with aspirations of living up to their shows, well then – Mission Accomplished. Into The Wide is the type of album that takes a band to the next level.

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Delta Spirit is here

Our session with Delta Spirit can be found here

Indie / Progressive / Jazz
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