Album Review – The Deslondes – “Roll It Out”

There are a lot of bands in American roots music that were inspired in some capacity by the legendary group The Band. But arguably no modern assemblage of musical humans best embodies the amalgam of influences, the undying selflessness from all the respective players, and the incredible chemistry that made The Band work to become icons despite the long odds like the New Orleans-based band The Deslondes.

These dudes are “The Band” of our era, though wholly original to their own universe. And similar to their predecessors, The Deslondes might not be the most commercially-successful or wickedly popular project out there. But they have the respect of their fellow musicians, and wield significant influence upon the rest of the roots music landscape.

Sam Doores, Riley Downing, Dan Cutler, John James Tourville, and Howe Pearson could all be their own respective franchises, and that’s actually what’s happened over the years. Sam Doores and Riley Downing have released solo albums, multi-instrumentalist John James Tourville has become a sought-after producer after his work with Pat Reedy and Emily Nenni among others, and drummer Howe Pearson is the newest member after migrating over from another close-knit Nola band, Hurray for the Riff Raff.

Named after the street in New Orleans where the group would hang at the house of Sam Doores, The Deslondes have always been more like a family or a collective than a “band,” and that loose-knit structure and lack of hierarchy results in organic and natural-feeling songs that slide in and out of blues, country, swamp pop, and vintage rock n’ roll.

The remarkable thing about this band is how it all comes together feeling so seamless, cohesive, and ultimately immersive for the appreciative listener. No matter if it’s the deep-voiced delivery of Riley Downing, or the sometimes whimsical writing of Sam Doores, it all sounds distinctly like The Deslondes, and decidedly different from anything else you’ll hear.

They don’t try to wow you with the instrumentation or the writing. It’s this band’s ability to sound like they’re not really trying at all that makes the music so unique and strangely alluring. They’re Americana anti-stars, working in obscure dialects that sit between the margins of more popular styles, taking up the influences and sounds that have been orphaned by the rest of music and making them feel loved and vital. It’s not that others haven’t tried their hands at this. But only The Deslondes are able to be this obscure while avoiding sounding like it.

The new album Roll It Out is once again produced by the renown Andrija Tokic, which is who you call upon when you want your music to come with that vintage sepia filter. It’s the little outmoded keys and horn parts layered over melodies that sneak up on you to deliver surprisingly infectious moments in decidedly unpretentious songs. This music tickles parts of your musical bones other offerings can’t reach, and you forgot you had. It’s just as much George Jones as it is Fats Domino.

Though you wouldn’t label Roll It Out as a concept album, it does have a beginning, middle and end that finds the band reminiscing upon life on the road, and how that realigns the human spirit over a prolonged period of time. The Deslondes now count over 15 years as a musical collective, and along with their own albums, have little contributions and guest spots all over the place.

As with previous albums, some might find the offerings of The Deslondes a little too boring, fey, or hard to categorize in their brains. But Roll It Out does feel a shade more accessible than some of their more recent albums, and might be the title to win your heart over to this unique and important American band.

8.1/10

– – – – – – – – –

Purchase on Bandcamp

Purchase on Amazon