The Deslondes (from the album Roll It Out

The Deslondes (from the album Roll It Out

The Deslondes (from the album Roll It Out available on New West Records) (by Brian Rock)
The Deslondes roll out their fourth album, appropriately named, Roll It Out. The five piece Folk collective rolls up Country, Western, Folk, Rock, and a touch of Jazz to create their own mellow blend of Americana. Bridging the infamous late 60’s musical rift between the hippies and the heartlanders, The Deslondes combine Country melodies with Bay Area Folk vibes while somehow staying true to both genres. It is Merle Haggard meets John Sebastian in a feel good family reunion of cousins who haven’t talked in years.
The album’s lead radio single, “Take Me Back,” is a joy to behold. A lively lament for times gone by; the song has a driving Folk/Rock rhythm as the band sings, ‘take me back to the days that used to be, when fish were jumpin’ and birds were all laughing at me. Before we troubled the waters and poisoned the deep blue sea’. The deceptively spritely tempo continues as the band mourns the past, ‘like an old buried bone from a dog who’s put down to rest’. Despite the melancholy lyrics, the band finally finds a ray of sunshine to match the giddy melody, as they sing, ‘roll me in your arms baby, it’s alright. Do me how you please, I won’t put up a fight’. And just like that, love transforms misery to magic. The Deslondes harness the power of love and music to bring light to the darkness.
“I’ll Do It” captures the feel-good Folk of The Lovin’ Spoonful. Trying to match, and even outdo, the love they receive, the band gleefully pledges ‘if you’re asking for love, there is no limit’. “Mercury On Parade” taps into that same era to make another pledge of love. “Who Really Loses” ventures further into the trippy, experimental Folk of Quicksilver Messenger Service. Subtle touches of Cosmic Cowboy linger on in the Country/Folk of “Hold on Liza”. Returning to earth, the band mellows out on the Country/Folk cover of J.J. Cale’s “Drifters Wife” as pedal steel helps bridge the gap from Folk to Country. “Old Plank Road” goes full on Western; with a rhythm of a horse at slow trot, the band captures the spirit of Marty Robbins. Celebrating a favorite watering hole, the band recalls watching sunsets, and watching the sun come up again in a little ‘bar in a one horse town’. “Find The Ground” conveys the spirit of campfire songs on the western plains. “Grand Junction” captures the Country/Folk feel of a Gordon Lightfoot ballad. “Line To Go” is a more somber take on the passing of time and the fading of hope. Transitioning from Country to Jazz, The Deslondes combine pedal steel and ragtime piano on “Go Out Tonight”. Once again, the band salutes the power of music – this time the power to rouse us out of our comfy home to go see a live band every now and again. “Pour Another Round” leans more heavily into Ragtime to celebrate another day of being alive. From teary ballads to joyful odes to love, The Deslondes help you celebrate every circumstance that life rolls out to you.  (by Brian Rock)
 
Listen and buy the music of The Deslondes from AMAZON
 
For more information, please visit The Deslondes website