Sometimes
we need to grip the loss that we have in life around the throat and thank it.
It is, after all, this loss that produces endurance and makes what remains so
much more meaningful. The men from Long Beach, California who make up Delta Spirit
have the courage to do this. Their second album "History From Below"
focuses on what has gone missing, loved and remembered, acknowledging that most
losses were three parts sweetness and only one part regret.
Recorded at
Prairie Sun Studio C in Cotati, CA - the same place Tom Waits has recorded almost
exclusively since 1991 - "History From Below" is brimming with incredibly
deep and moving songs that are alternately grand and explosive. It has a powerful
energy that radiates musically, lyrically and vocally. It looks at how our defeats
shape us more than we know. It does this by not only focusing on the tragedies,
but also through rounding off and enhancing the joys that are still around. From
the moment you hit play, "History From Below" captures also the uncontainable
spirit the band exudes on stage.
Delta Spirit prove they still have their
talent for writing rollicking up-tempo songs with '911' and 'Bushwick Blues'.
But it's the soulful slow burn songs ('White Table, 'Ballad of Vitaly') along
with the western fervour of 'St. Francis' that highlights the passion and intimacy
that Delta Spirit have for their art, as well as the respect that they have for
the challenges of life.
"All we wanted to do is put the record together
one song at a time," says Delta Spirit's singer/guitarist Matthew Vasquez
about "History From Below". "We spent six months of this last year
making a record that sums up three years of growing up."
"History
From Below" is the eloquent and highly anticipated follow-up to Delta Spirit's
captivating debut album, "Ode To Sunshine", which brought the band thousands
upon thousands of passionate fans, along with the kind of critical acclaim most
bands dream about. SPIN hailed the album in its four-out-of-five-star review,
saying, "This rousing debut impresses mightily," while Filter called
it "Pure joy" and and Sydney's Drum Media names it "A bright and
shining beacon of folk-tinged pop music, with more than a hint of political fire
in the belly."
After touring non-stop to support their debut, including
a flight out to Australia to play the coveted Splendour In The Grass Festival
and some shows with Cold War Kids, the band came off the road and wrote and recorded
the new album in just a few short months with the help of Eli Thomson and Bo Koster
(My Morning Jacket). "History From Below" showcases a road-tested band
that picks right up where "Ode To Sunshine" left off, with 11 new rocking,
soulful songs.
'History From Below' is out now.
