Delta Spirit is the kind of band that pulls you in, makes you part of the music until you have no excuse but to march around the room clapping and stomping along. There are so many elements of musical genres at work on Ode to Sunshine that it's impossible to separate them into any category. The only adequate descriptor is "celebration."
Highlights of 'Ode to Sunshine'
Delta Spirit has mastered the art of building a song to its ultimate climax. "People, Turn Around" (purchase/download) starts off like a lonely harmonica-driven folk song sung earnestly on someone's front steps. But, by the end of the tune, the arrangement has built so big it sounds like everyone on the block is singing along.This is also exquisitely displayed on "Children" (purchase/download) with its marching drum-and-cymbal beat and slowly building languid electric guitar riffs. By the end of the song, the added horns and other atmospheric noises have created such a din that it feels like one big, melodic temper tantrum.
The Bottom Line
Ode to Sunshine is an excellent introduction to this innovative new band. One can only hope they continue to shell out such stirring, invigorating music as time goes on. It's hard to believe such energy could possibly be sustainable for album after album, but perhaps time will tell.
