DELTA LADIES - HILLBILLY TRANCE
2017 - Self Released
I reviewed the Delta Ladies extraordinary debut 'Refugee' back in 2015, eventually making it one of my albums of the year. The simple label to affix to them would be 'Blues band,' which, on the face of it is what they are, but their music whilst being modern in concept also gives a strong nod to the 'hillbillies' of old, recapturing, perhaps more than any other modern band, that slightly threatening, spooky otherworldliness that so many greats of the 1920s, such as Dock Boggs, were able to evoke perfectly naturally. In the case of Boggs and his peers that spookiness was down to the sheer unrelenting harshness of their poverty stricken lives back then, hopefully conditions the Delta Ladies have not been subjected to, but their depth and spookiness is no more a contrivance than the almost primeval sound of those now, in the main, long dead originals.
In the vocals of lead singer Vicky Martin there are distinguishable elements of an almost tired resignation at the state of the world and consequently an acceptance that any fight has a better than 50/50 chance of being lost. Vicky's vocal is both expressive and matter of fact, sometimes with an element of comforting warmth but the feeling of tiredness with the fight is almost palpable in these powerful 'hillbilly blues' songs, many of which are wrapped up in strong elements of protest. And yet, conversely, there is also a deep feeling of determination and strength ensuring the fight will continue to its conclusion whatever the outcome. Much of that depth is brought about by the 'trance' thread that runs through this album, even including sections that contain a powerful improvisational feel which ultimately puts this band into a genre of one! The listener will know the music is rooted to planet earth but it is difficult to relate to what is going on, as if it is far beyond the listener's experience, which to a degree it certainly is, but the band deserve huge credit for being able to capture that deep slightly forbidding atmosphere that permeates these nine tracks. Two of the songs even have two different mixes each although they are mixes that are far enough apart to lull the listener into thinking they are different songs and as with the very best of the old rural blues and hillbilly music there is an undercurrent of an almost otherworldly mournfulness in the makeup of this album that somehow has relevance to the modern world.
The band consists of the already mentioned Vicky Martin on lead vocals, banjo, guitar and bouzouki. Dee Stone is on fiddle, piano and synths, Danny Bryan on percussion, Alan Glen, harmonica, Tali Trow on double bass and banjo and Nick Newall plays flute. All have virtuosic skills on their instruments and as the music suggests their roots and influences come from just about every music genre imaginable from delta blues to prog. rock! Vicky Martin had a hand in writing all of the songs, some alone and some with various band members and the production credits are interesting as well. Some were produced by Tali Trow and some by Dee Stone, with those produced by Stone having the more 'trancy' experimental feel although there is little on the album that has a contemporary feel, all suggesting at least elements of experimentation and to a degree improvisation.
The disc opens with Devils work today, a song on which even the intro has a strange otherworldly feel, dominated by a dark spookiness that persists for much of this extraordinary album. The fiddle, banjo, percussion and wailing harmonica emphasize Vicky Martin's world weary telling of this incredibly deep dark blues story, albeit one that very much has its lyrical roots in the here and now rather than the dim, misty past. It is immediately followed by Hot chat line, a composition that obviously has modern day relevance. The chiming, melodic guitar and banjo allied to the percussive thud give the song a slightly surreal start but when the howling harmonica comes in the spookiness is strengthened. It is soon joined by Vicky's evocative lead vocal which roots and balances the song into something that feels as old as the hills despite its contemporary theme as it picks up strength and variations with the songs progression, whilst some of the repetitions enable the song to sink into the listeners psyche. The banjo and synth get things going on Rock of Ages (Trance mix) with the flute and harmonica intervening at times as the percussion starts to set the tone. Some of the percussion sounds like the tabla and the whole thing appears to have an improvisational feel on this 'trance' version of an earlier song. It is a tune very dominated by the fiddle and percussion with Vicky's vocal being deliberately at the back of the mix bringing a completely different perspective to proceedings. Finally, on La Revelation (Hear me calling) the eerie banjo, harmonica and fiddle build slowly and quietly on an incredibly atmospheric epic that clocks in at over eleven minutes and yet the slow development gradually 'grows legs' and expands making it a quite addictive composition that falls away and then resurrects itself in a slightly different form. The flute comes in with the fiddle and harmonica, together creating another strange otherworldly atmosphere that is soon overtaken by a synth sound on an epic piece of improvisation. Wherever the song goes it still has a deep blues atmosphere that could also evoke a haunting and haunted old lost 'hillbilly holler.' It is without doubt a strange and magical piece that has a strong cinematic feel. Vicky's vocal comes in during the seventh minute giving it another perspective change with the synth, banjo, flute and percussion taking on a more repetitive feel but still with a flowing otherworldliness as the composition starts to add a little more intensity to its powerful dynamism.
To sum up! This is an album that will not appeal to everybody, with its deep, dark, otherworldly atmosphere taking it as far from 'easy listening' as it is possible to get. Having said that it is a rewarding collection that I'm still listening to constantly, with its spookiness giving an evocation of the atmosphere created in the early days of recording, something that few if any others can even contemplate. Of course it's just possible that the Delta Ladies have created a new and unique genre in 'Hillbilly Blues Trance!'
http://deltaladies.com/
I reviewed the Delta Ladies extraordinary debut 'Refugee' back in 2015, eventually making it one of my albums of the year. The simple label to affix to them would be 'Blues band,' which, on the face of it is what they are, but their music whilst being modern in concept also gives a strong nod to the 'hillbillies' of old, recapturing, perhaps more than any other modern band, that slightly threatening, spooky otherworldliness that so many greats of the 1920s, such as Dock Boggs, were able to evoke perfectly naturally. In the case of Boggs and his peers that spookiness was down to the sheer unrelenting harshness of their poverty stricken lives back then, hopefully conditions the Delta Ladies have not been subjected to, but their depth and spookiness is no more a contrivance than the almost primeval sound of those now, in the main, long dead originals.
In the vocals of lead singer Vicky Martin there are distinguishable elements of an almost tired resignation at the state of the world and consequently an acceptance that any fight has a better than 50/50 chance of being lost. Vicky's vocal is both expressive and matter of fact, sometimes with an element of comforting warmth but the feeling of tiredness with the fight is almost palpable in these powerful 'hillbilly blues' songs, many of which are wrapped up in strong elements of protest. And yet, conversely, there is also a deep feeling of determination and strength ensuring the fight will continue to its conclusion whatever the outcome. Much of that depth is brought about by the 'trance' thread that runs through this album, even including sections that contain a powerful improvisational feel which ultimately puts this band into a genre of one! The listener will know the music is rooted to planet earth but it is difficult to relate to what is going on, as if it is far beyond the listener's experience, which to a degree it certainly is, but the band deserve huge credit for being able to capture that deep slightly forbidding atmosphere that permeates these nine tracks. Two of the songs even have two different mixes each although they are mixes that are far enough apart to lull the listener into thinking they are different songs and as with the very best of the old rural blues and hillbilly music there is an undercurrent of an almost otherworldly mournfulness in the makeup of this album that somehow has relevance to the modern world.
The band consists of the already mentioned Vicky Martin on lead vocals, banjo, guitar and bouzouki. Dee Stone is on fiddle, piano and synths, Danny Bryan on percussion, Alan Glen, harmonica, Tali Trow on double bass and banjo and Nick Newall plays flute. All have virtuosic skills on their instruments and as the music suggests their roots and influences come from just about every music genre imaginable from delta blues to prog. rock! Vicky Martin had a hand in writing all of the songs, some alone and some with various band members and the production credits are interesting as well. Some were produced by Tali Trow and some by Dee Stone, with those produced by Stone having the more 'trancy' experimental feel although there is little on the album that has a contemporary feel, all suggesting at least elements of experimentation and to a degree improvisation.
The disc opens with Devils work today, a song on which even the intro has a strange otherworldly feel, dominated by a dark spookiness that persists for much of this extraordinary album. The fiddle, banjo, percussion and wailing harmonica emphasize Vicky Martin's world weary telling of this incredibly deep dark blues story, albeit one that very much has its lyrical roots in the here and now rather than the dim, misty past. It is immediately followed by Hot chat line, a composition that obviously has modern day relevance. The chiming, melodic guitar and banjo allied to the percussive thud give the song a slightly surreal start but when the howling harmonica comes in the spookiness is strengthened. It is soon joined by Vicky's evocative lead vocal which roots and balances the song into something that feels as old as the hills despite its contemporary theme as it picks up strength and variations with the songs progression, whilst some of the repetitions enable the song to sink into the listeners psyche. The banjo and synth get things going on Rock of Ages (Trance mix) with the flute and harmonica intervening at times as the percussion starts to set the tone. Some of the percussion sounds like the tabla and the whole thing appears to have an improvisational feel on this 'trance' version of an earlier song. It is a tune very dominated by the fiddle and percussion with Vicky's vocal being deliberately at the back of the mix bringing a completely different perspective to proceedings. Finally, on La Revelation (Hear me calling) the eerie banjo, harmonica and fiddle build slowly and quietly on an incredibly atmospheric epic that clocks in at over eleven minutes and yet the slow development gradually 'grows legs' and expands making it a quite addictive composition that falls away and then resurrects itself in a slightly different form. The flute comes in with the fiddle and harmonica, together creating another strange otherworldly atmosphere that is soon overtaken by a synth sound on an epic piece of improvisation. Wherever the song goes it still has a deep blues atmosphere that could also evoke a haunting and haunted old lost 'hillbilly holler.' It is without doubt a strange and magical piece that has a strong cinematic feel. Vicky's vocal comes in during the seventh minute giving it another perspective change with the synth, banjo, flute and percussion taking on a more repetitive feel but still with a flowing otherworldliness as the composition starts to add a little more intensity to its powerful dynamism.
To sum up! This is an album that will not appeal to everybody, with its deep, dark, otherworldly atmosphere taking it as far from 'easy listening' as it is possible to get. Having said that it is a rewarding collection that I'm still listening to constantly, with its spookiness giving an evocation of the atmosphere created in the early days of recording, something that few if any others can even contemplate. Of course it's just possible that the Delta Ladies have created a new and unique genre in 'Hillbilly Blues Trance!'
http://deltaladies.com/