Full House

SoCal’s Delta Spirit have released their self-titled third full-length, providing a fuller, wider range of sound than previous works. Anyone familiar with “Devil Knows You’re Dead” from their second album or the track from the final scene of the final season of Friday Night Lights should expect this whole album to be that sound multiplied by three.

There are lots of great things happening with the guitar and percussion. You’ll hear sleigh bells in “Into the Darkness,” and “Time Bomb” is led along completely by the booming drums. “Yamaha,” the album’s closer, brings in the epic-sounding organ. “Tellin’ the Mind” repeats those three words over again a lot and consists of a shit-ton of energy and vocalist Matthew Vasquez trilling his tongue. Very different from “Home,” which is slower, quieter and puts a nice emphasis on the guitar. You won’t hear any drums on that track.

The album’s single “California” is heard on track 3 and a good release to showcase the band’s variety and growth. It’s synth-y, fast-paced, upbeat, and sounds exactly like a song influenced by living in California. “California” isn’t the only state to be graced with a song title. “Idaho,” the following track, begins appropriately with the lyrics: “Thunder clouds have been making faces, my friends are on the front porch getting wasted.”

This album is good at best. While Delta Spirit is to be appreciated, there’s something charming and loveable about the twang-y alt-rock of Delta Spirit’s previous albums.