I want you (Delta) (LP 258)

Delta Slippin' Out (Download, originally released 1994) ****

Genre:  Indie English pop/rock

Places I remember: Download from Alexander Geddes  

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: I Want You




Gear costume:  Color Madre, We Come Back

Active compensatory factors: Okay - we've reached that point where my collection is safely tucked away in a storage facility in Albany, NZ.

From henceforth until further notice, posts will sometimes come from my vinyl collection (at least the list of the next 50 or so albums I wrote before boxing them up), my Monday Night Album Club (MNAC) responses, and albums I pick up in England from August onwards.

Should be a heady brew.

Let's start with my MNAC entry for this week shall we: Delta's Slippin' Out album.

According to A Geddes: 

Delta emerged out of the ashes of Sarah Records band The Sea Urchins. I would describe them as Britpop also-rans, except it’s really more like they had their legs cut off at the starting line. As I understand it, they ended up in record label hell for most of the 90s, only managing to release a (frankly mediocre) collection of accumulated bits and bobs in '99, after getting out of their contract. In 2000, though, they finally managed to put out a debut proper, Slippin’ Out. That is the record I’m sending round for this week, and it is, to my mind, brilliant. It also, as far as I can tell, made absolutely no impact.

Alex was keen for us to provide reasons why Delta remained obscure, without outrageous success throughout Planet Rock'n'Roll. And whether that was a right and justified outcome.

So here I go.

First - reasons why: the name for a start is uninspiring: what kind of music will Delta offer? Who knows! 

Vocals are not radio friendly ones - they are of the lived in variety. Plus the lyrics are REM style muffled which I love but radio doesn't.

The music is often beautiful, layered with complex arrangements - way too smart for world domination. 

Guitars are of an indie bent - interesting and edgy and not to a formula.

Songs are complex - not 3 minutes of repeated ideas for the lowest common denominator.

Do I like it? Absolutely - the Beatle inspired complexity and feel; the Mick and Keef/ John and Paul style combined singing is fantastic - I'm clearly a sucker for that; the arrangements are continually pleasing to my ear; the songs are varied and surprising. 

It's very rewarding and well worth my four star rating!


Where do they all belong? Indie pop with hints of Dr Dogg style woozy Beatleholicisms.