The sound that Louisville associates with Touch and Go bands is in short supply here on The Delta 72's disc, The R&B of Membership. Though more than a couple songs plod along in a stuttering dirge tempo, the instrumentation -- particularly the slide guitar and the farfisa organ -- suggests a retro bend. And here, immediately, is the crux of The Delta 72. If the retro elements are distasteful to you, The Delta 72 will have you running for your copy of By the Grace of God's last CD. But leave at your own risk; it is precisely these elements that make The R&B of Membership an interesting twist on modern, hardcore-infused indie rock.
The Washington, D.C., quartet is mostly in it for the hard-crunching grooves, but artfulness is not completely bludgeoned out of the sound. Physical Graffiti roots are balanced by an influx of slo-core flavors, and the farfisa is broken out of its constricting cage of '80s rock bounciness. The sound here is sufficiently arresting. I'll be back to hear their second effort, where The Delta 72 will hopefully have a few more songs and a few less same-sounding jams.
grungy image, vanilla rock