Album Review: The Delines – Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom

Full of all kinds of love.

Self-described retro country soul collective The Delines are back with their sixth album, Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom. With a Valentine’s Day release and a couple in the name, the 11-track LP is as lovely and heartfelt as it sounds. 

The Portland, Oregon-based Delines consists of Amy Boone as the main vocalist, Cory Gray on the keyboard and trumpet, Sean Oldham on percussion and vocals, Freddy Trujillo on bass and vocals, and Willy Vlautin on guitar and vocals. Vlautin serves as their main songwriter, though he’s more of a storyteller, focusing on characters and their various struggles in America’s hinterlands. 

Like many vintage country songs, the tracks are fables, with lead singer Boone crooning stories about drug use and toxic love. The second and longest track, “Her Ponyboy,” is an excellent example. Boone acts as a narrator and witness of a tragic love story between two drug-addicted teen runaways. Boone’s silky-smooth delivery turns what should be a heart-wrenching tale into a beautiful, bluesy tune. 

The mood picks up on the third track, “Left Hook Like Frazier.” The band has a palpable chemistry that can expertly switch the mood at a moment’s notice. The subject matter is still troubling, but you wouldn’t know it with Gray’s trumpet and Oldham’s upbeat drum playing. All these elements come together to tell a story of self-love in the worst times. 

Vlautin’s storytelling shines on tracks like “Nancy and the Pensacola Pimp” and “JP and Me.” With the instrumentals taking a backseat, the listener is transported into the lives of the various characters Vlautin is writing about. They may not be accurate, but the listener is compelled to feel for them and their struggles. The stripped-back accompaniment highlights Boone’s captivating vocals and delivery. They become not songs but 3-minute novels you can’t put down.

“The Haunting Thoughts” abandons the fictional storytelling of every other song and turns autobiographical. This track has the most overt soul of the album, with Oldham using a brush for the drums and Gray using minimal yet lush phrases to complement Boone’s crooning. The track is self-deprecating and miserable, describing the existential dread of everyday existence, but it still manages to wrap the listeners in a warm hug. 

The ninth track, “Maureen Goes Missing,” has Trujillo’s bass as the driving force. His steady, enrapturing playing, which acts as the foundation for the rest of the exciting instrumentation, creates a fun world for the track to live in. All band members sing the chorus, evoking the feel of classic bluegrass bands. It’s a fun tune with another riveting fable weaved into it.

The final and shortest track, “Don’t Go Into That House,” is also the saddest. Boone pleads for Lorraine (from the earlier track “Don’t Miss That Bus Lorraine”) to not go into that house, presumably not to continue the life she tried to run away from. It’s an abrupt ending to the album, but it’s proof that not every story, and indeed not any of The Delines’, has a happy ending. 

Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom is an anthology album worth listening to. Whether you’re looking for an escape from toxic love or a reminder of what’s really important, it’s a beautiful project full of heart.