The Deslondes’ new album “Roll it Out,” which released on Sept. 6, 2024, built off the success of the previous albums while keeping the same atmosphere and attitude towards country and Americana.
The 13-track album is 43 minutes long and contains some of the best songs released by the group, with “Hold On Liza,” being one of the most popular new releases. The song is featured on Spotify’s The Pulse of Americana playlist.
The Deslondes are a five-piece group based out of New Orleans. The band is known for having each of its members write and sing on songs, as multiple members of the group have released solo albums similar to how this album got its roll out. Singles were released by their respective writers and singers, which adds this anthology element to the album which weaves the positions of the members together throughout the project, adding this cohesive element as it goes through the member’s songs.
One of the best parts of this album is its organization – it feels like there is an organic progression through the songs despite the switch of writers and singers. This goes to show the collaboration effort between the members of the Deslondes. The transition between “Pour Another Round,” which is my personal favorite song, and “Find the Ground,” is brilliantly executed, as the solemn start of “Pour Another Round” then kicks off into its more upbeat elements so it doesn’t shock the listener into a new beat.
The whole “Roll it Out” album is really easy to listen to. The listening experience with the mix of singers doesn’t make it feel like too much of the same. This might sound like a contradiction to the previous paragraph, but the uniqueness of each song puzzle-pieces into this album perfectly show the attention to detail and passion these guys have for their work.
The New Orleans country scene is one of my favorites at the moment, with Maddy Kirgo and The Lostines. The Deslondes add more of a harder edge to the sub genre, as usually the scene is a lot more dreamy, which isn’t necessarily a breath of fresh air but rather a nice rendition of the genre. They will likely be the biggest names out of New Orleans for Country if they keep up the level of attention to detail in their next projects.
The Deslondes’ also add a flare of Rhythm and Blues to their work compared to what is more common for New Orleans style, something that could be considered more indie compared to the delta routes that the area is known for. It is lovely to see the group in touch with that part of the area. Songs like “Mercury on Parade” really show off their work in blues, as it is reminiscent of Charley Crockett and his Gulf Western style, which puts an emphasis on the backing keyboardist. The keyboard solo ending the song off is one of the best parts of the album.
Overall the album mixes influences of the members’ previous work, both solo and together, to create a unique sound that the Deslondes are known for. The album has a lot of high points and not many songs you would want to skip, making this one of the best projects they’ve put out in a while.
