The Imperial

Album review

Before asserting themselves as a real group with real members and a real future, The Delines were simply the union of singer Amy Boones from Damnations, Cory Gray on the keyboard and trumpet, Tucker Jackson from Minus 5 on the pedal steel and of course the three ex-Richmond Fontaine members: Sean Oldham, Freddie Trujillo and their leader Willy Vlautin. It is the latter of the bunch (Vlautin) that signed off on the ten songs from The Imperial. Whilst Colfax, The Delines’ first album released in 2014, was rather experimental, this vintage 2019 record comes after a year of touring, the consolidation of the line-up and months of repetition. Recorded in Portland and produced by John Morgan Askew, The Imperial shines with perfect chemistry between Boone’s warm and sensual voice (sometimes reminiscent of Dusty Springfield, Bobbie Gentry and Rickie Lee Jones) and Vlautin’s wonderful writing. Draped in a mix of soul with a drop of country, these songs with their very cinematographic nature seem to be out of their time. There is enough here to suggest this record is in it for the long run. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz