Many try and fail to cover as much the musical palette offered by the American music, and often they fail. Basically, they have a hard time breathing in the essence of the sound(s) they are trying to generate. Either they don’t understand it, or don’t have the capabilities to cover it. Not so The Deslondes. Maybe the fact that they’re from New Orleans and able to gather as much of the authentic sounds on offer there and being truly capable and talented really helps. And they were able to show it all on their second album, Hurry Home.
And when I say all, it is almost all there - the timeless swagger of The Band (Muddy Water), the Fifties rockabilly of the Sun Records (One Of These Lonesome Mornings), the more current ‘No-Depression ‘ sound of Wilco ((This Ain’t) A Sad Song). I could go through all the thirteen tracks here and list as many musical combinations of American music you can imagine, soul, r&b, psych rock, you can even make a wish list. When you write it down though, it sounds like a mishmash that you can expect from a routine band playing on a hotel veranda somewhere on the beach or, ahem New Orleans. But here’s the catch - it all still sounds like it came from one unified source, and what is even more important, it sounds great. All the songs sound rounded and well-accomplished. It is obvious that the band absolutely know all the elements of the style(s) they’re in at that moment.
The diversity of The Deslondes comes from the fact that all five members of the band are involved in songwriting and singing duties and the diversity of instruments is presumed. And although there is a staggering stylistic diversity stemming not only from the styles covered but by different singing voices, it all sounds like a unit. A big part of that is owed to the fact that there is some relaxed atmosphere in the (music) air, no matter what kind of material the band is handling. Probably something to do with the fact that you have a feeling that if you woke them up in the middle of the night and told them to play they’d be able to do it with absolute ease and aplomb.
In a way The Deslondes’ Hurry Home in many ways resembles comfort food, New Orleans style of cooking - it all reminds of the good times and gives you a sense of security. In a great way.
