Delta Spirit

Without a healthy dose of serendipity, Delta Spirit would be a much less appealing band. Much of said appeal comes from the rough-hewn vocals of Matt Vasquez, who was discovered by his now band-mates as he busked on the streets of San Diego. This chance meeting, followed by a recording session in a cabin in the mountains, has created a very impressive debut that the band self-released last year. Reissued by Rounder, Ode To Sunshine is an uncluttered, unpolished slab of Americana that stands head and shoulders above the majority of releases from the usual suspects. It hasn’t changed much from its original incarnation, apart from the obligatory remastering and the addition of a new song. It has both freshness and world-weariness, which permeate the songs as they shuffle along, managing to successfully capture the energy that every track was obviously performed with in the cabin. It’s a soul record in the same way Liverpudlian band the La’s made a soul record — it has passion, joy, great songs and is the kind of debut that will stand the test of time.