The Delines New Album
The Delines
New Album – ‘The Sea Drift’
“Country Soul Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This, A Dream-Like Groove With Haunting Lyrics”
By Rob Dickens
From Portland, Oregon, ethereal country/soul group The Delines release their third studio album The Sea Drift (out February 11, 2022) via their new label Jealous Butcher Records.
The Delines are the result of the musical collaboration and friendship of Willy Vlautin (novelist and former frontman of the alt-country group Richmond Fontaine) and Amy Boone, with Vlautin penning deep narratives as a perfect fit for Boone’s unique, wistful vocals.
The first single – the gorgeous and vivid “Little Earl”:
Written by songwriter and author Willy Vlautin, and performed by lead singer Amy Boone, “Little Earl” is the first track from a collection of songs The Delines describe as “songs and stories found drifting up and down the Gulf Coast.”
“‘Little Earl’ was one of the first tracks I brought to ‘The Sea Drift’ rehearsal sessions, and as it turns out the one that helped create the sound and feel of the entire record. It’s a soul/Tony Joe White inspired groove, and Cory Gray’s horn and string arrangements set the cinematic tone for two brothers who get in a shoplifting-gone-wrong incident at a mini-mart outside of Port Arthur, Texas. I love songs that just drop you in the middle of a scene and that’s what we tried to do here.”
Willy Vlautin
The video for “Little Earl” was filmed by Jordan Mosser in and around Galveston, Texas, shot entirely through the windows of a car driving as day turns to night, mirroring the narrative of the song as Little Earl and his brother who is “bleeding in the backseat” drive down the Gulf Coast, debating if they should go to a hospital to treat his wounds in the aftermath of their get rich quick scheme gone wrong.
Vlautin is a gifted author and songwriter who often writes about down-on-their-luck characters “often on the lam or heading that way, rough and damaged but still upright.”
The cinematic feel of “Little Earl” is an example of what to expect with the album – Gray’s glowing keyboard, string and horn arrangements backed by soul bass from Freddy Trujillo and jazz drummer Sean Oldham. On The Sea Drift, The Delines once again partnered with producer John Morgan Askew who produced 2014’s Colfax and 2019’s The Imperial.
The release is the first new material since Boone was in a horrific car accident in 2016 that hospitalized her for multiple years and delayed the completion of The Imperial. There was a period of time during her long recovery in which Vlautin was unsure Amy would want to continue on with the band after the immense physical and mental toll of her injuries, but she was ready to get back in the saddle and record another album with the band.
“‘The Sea Drift’ sessions were also the first time since Amy had been injured that she felt strong and confident in the studio, and you can really hear it on this record. There’s strength to her voice, the strength of someone who’s overcome a lot of trauma and pain.” “The idea for the ‘The Sea Drift’ began with Amy and my mutual love of Tony Joe White. We used to have conversations about his records and she’d always joke, ‘Just write me ‘Rainy Night in Georgia.’ Jesus, what a tall order, but I guess in my own way I started trying.”
Willy Vlautin
Two of Vlautin’s six novels have been adapted into feature films and the songs here are both cinematic and romantic. This is country soul at its most sensual, a dream-like groove with haunting lyrics.
Here’s another single “Drowning In Plain Sight”.
The Sea Drift Track List
1. Little Earl
2. Kid Codeine
3. Drowning In Plain Sight
4. All Along The Ride
5. Lynette’s Lament
6. Hold Me Slow
7. Surfers In Twilight
8. Past The Shadows
9. This Ain’t No Getaway
10. Saved From The Sea
11. The Gulf Drift Lament
About The Delines
The Delines are the result of the musical collaboration and friendship of Willy Vlautin and Amy Boone, an opportunity for Willy to continue writing his mini-narrative songs that he gained notoriety for as the frontman of the alt-country group Richmond Fontaine through a new voice and perspective offered by Amy.
In addition to being a songwriter, Willy is an acclaimed novelist. Some of his novels like Lean On Pete and The Motel Life have been adapted into feature films.
Via Love Police Records & Tapes and Dave Laing Publicity
READ OUR REVIEW OF ‘COLFAX’ BY THE DELINES
ADVERTISE WITH LISTENING THROUGH THE LENS
More Music Adventures Await!
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The Delines New Album
November 13, 2021
I just realized that your posts have stopped showing up in my WordPress Reader section, even though I’m signed up as a follower. There’s a glitch somewhere. I’m going to unfollow, and then follow again. Maybe that will correct the problem, though I doubt that it will.
November 14, 2021
Not sure what happened – I have so many tech. things go wrong, I call them ‘Glitch of the Day’. There’s also “step away from the glitch son” – it might well work tomorrow ha ha. Very glad to have you back