On Roll It Out, the latest from New Orleans-based Americana band The Deslondes, the five-piece manages to move forward the sound they found on 2022’s come-back record, Ways & Means, incorporating new instruments while still carrying along plenty of the laid-back elements of their first two records that made the band so entertaining in the first place.
The 13-song set continues to feature several different members taking turns on the mic at front of the stage, adding to the band’s appeal. Guitarist Riley Downing, who takes over vocal duties on the opening track “Hold On Liza” and songs like “Grand Junction,” has an unmistakable house rattling baritone that works perfectly on the slower numbers. At the same time, Sam Doores has a voice that’s just as smooth but in a much more traditional range.
Adding to the feel that the album is both nostalgic yet evolving, multi-instrumentalist John James Tourville said recently that some of these songs have been around for a long time. “It’s about half and half old versus new, so it feels both fresh and familiar to us. It reminds me of back when we were starting out, before we were even the Deslondes… It’s like we’re moving forward to get to where we were.”
Even back to its founding, the band has stretched the definition of Americana, combining a slew of disparate influences to shape their music, but the sound has expanded even more over the years, taking influences from folk and country, gospel and swamp rock, R&B and jazz. All these elements can be found slathered over Roll Out, including some remarkable horn parts in songs like the infectious “I’ll Do It.” One of the standout moments is “Lies I’ve Told,” a beautiful love song (impressive for a band that has not written too many love songs). Dan Cutler, bassist and singer, wrote it a few years ago, walking the eerily quiet streets with his dog after a hurricane had passed through the city.
“Pour Another Round” is a slow-tempo dive bar singalong, while “I’ll Do It” and “Take Me Back” are the perfect blend of honky tony and boogie-woogie, recalling many of the band’s earlier songs. The record closes on “Drifter’s Wife,” a lonely cover of the J.J. Cale’s underrated early ‘80s song. The band treats it with reverence, turning in stunning harmonies. There is plenty on this record for the longtime fans to love and just as much to bring in new ones.
