The band is not quite what they say they are. Delta? Absolutely. But saints? One might call them “cautionary tales” long before the term “saints” ever came to mind; however, there is something devout about their bayou rock, a dirty, distinct sound they’ve zealously refined on their debut full-length, Death Letter Jubilee. Alternating between raucous melodies and slow-burning odes to the devil in his many forms, Ben Ringel (vocals/dobro), Dylan Fitch (guitar), David Supica (bass), and Ben Azzi (drums) explore themes of difficult love, the wanderer’s high road, and the moral low road using their unconscious fascination with the classical elements – earth, air, fire, and water – as a natural vehicle for their briny narratives.
With Death Letter Jubilee, The Delta Saints are blooming into life not as a pretty flower might, but perhaps a mushroom explosion from an atomic bomb or a feral thunderhead. After two self-released and well received EPs, Pray On and A Bird Called Angola, fans demanded a full length and happily burst through the band’s Kickstarter goal to get it. “That is a feeling like no other,” Ben Ringel claims. “It’s awesome and also humbling. And it’s good pressure on us to succeed. It’s the kind of pressure we were able to harness and strive off of.”
The members of The Delta Saints each moved to Nashville for college in 2007. They first found common ground as old-world-loving, good-bourbon-swilling musicians and began playing together around town before they had any plans to record. As the searing harmonica and howling vocals of their live show began garnering notoriety in a city known well for its indifference to anything less than worthwhile, The Saints rode their roots rock wave right into the studio.
On the heels of 2010’s A Bird Called Angola, the band toured tirelessly, playing more than 150 shows a year, including a slot at Arkansas’ Wakarusa Festival and two summers headlining in Europe during which they performed on the long-running, renowned German TV show Rockpalast. Road tested and weather worn, The Delta Saints have seen wholly organic growth, working diligently in the name of a roots revival alongside fellow up and comers Alabama Shakes and Gary Clark Jr., becoming The Black Keys of a bygone era, all the while harnessing the brackish delta current into something gripping and bold, says Benjamin Ringel.
“Liar” opens Death Letter Jubilee with a swaggering bass line and a blazing guitar riff, the “Come on!” refrain in the chorus echoing like a command, beckoning listeners to settle in for the long haul. “’Chicago’ is just written about the first time I was ever in Chicago,” Ringel explains. “We were there for 18 hours, and there was a blizzard, so it was snow and wind and bitter cold. Right before bed, I looked out this big third story window, and all I could see was amber light from the streetlights and snow, and for some reason that image just stuck.” The song itself generates a heat fit to ward off that blizzard weather, featuring a rare but incendiary brass section and an immovable beat that marks the tune as an early highlight.
“Death Letter Jubilee” is by far the most magnetic track on the album. There’s something eerie about its cacophonous Orleans-inspired chorus, the warm buzz of harmonica, the tinny trumpet whine, and the way one can’t help but be swept away by the utterly irreverent revelry. “I love songs where sonically you get one emotion from it, and then you look at the lyrics and it’s not at all what you expected,” Ringel says of the song’s musical inspiration. “And everybody has certain emotions that they’re not proud of. The idea that you can be glad about somebody’s ultimate demise… it’s such a negative thing, but everybody feels something a little like that.”
“Jezebel” melts down into a sweltering lo-fi blues number, its minimal instrumentation muddled and viscous as though the song was written on an old front porch when it was just too damn hot to do anything but sing. And like water thrown over flames, the crackling and steaming “Out to Sea” cools the album with its haunting refrain: “Oh, oh, river run, straight out from the hurt that seems to pour from me, and oh, oh, river speak, just haulin’ ass down the Calabash, just headed out to sea.”
“It was a new direction for us on a lot of different fronts,” Ringel admits of the tune. “It’s quiet and it’s sweet and it’s sad. It explores the idea of that cheesy, sappy movie line, ‘I can’t live without you,’ but this is more like, if you’re going to say it, what does that really mean?”
“Sing to Me” starts out sluggishly, forlornly, a rusted locomotive gathering speed with lyrics like, “I come to you now with blood on my hands, the law on my tail, and my conscience be damned, my sweet little babe, my sweet honeybee,” before running off the rails completely, harmonica flashing, drums galloping. And “River,” a second listen gem, is a brief interlude deep into the album in which an ethereal female gospel choir seems to sway and billow in the breeze on balmy Sunday afternoon.
“The main thing we wanted for Death Letter Jubilee was for it to have movement,” Ringel states. “We wanted people to listen and have an emotional journey similar to the one we had while making it.” That journey has left them energized and confident about the future, while still enjoying each stop along the road: “We want to grow, and maybe even grow faster, but we understand that it’s all in due time. We want to fully realize the weight of our experiences, and be able to savor them too.”
Death Letter Jubilee will be available January 2013.
Official Website: The Delta Saints
Chicago
The Delta Saints Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got a dollar in my pocket and my feet on the ground
In the morning a fast train gonna take me right down
To the center of the city, and to the center of the town
And when I step off of that train into them streets, I'm gon' say
I got a dollar in my pocket and my feet here to stay
Got a dollar in my pocket, baby
I got a dollar in my pocket, baby
And my feet on the ground
And here God was a sailor on that ocean so blue
He'd see the world from the water, but his heart would stay true
And he would curse down the waves as they rose and fell
For taking him from his city and from the wind on his shores
And when he step off of that boat onto that dock and kneel and pray
And thank God for not taking his soul away
Got a dollar in my pocket, baby
And my feet on the ground
I got a dollar in my pocket, baby
And my feet on the ground
It seems I've been walking now, for years at a time
Come through hell and high water, come through desert and pine
And in these boots I worn down, the miles to the store
Just need a city with broad shoulders where I can later rest my bones
And when I reach that city and from that Market Square
I'll cry, Thank God for Chicago, and the wind that she bears, yeah!
Got a dollar in my pocket, baby
And my feet on the ground
Got a dollar in my pocket, baby
And my feet on the ground
The Delta Saints's song "Chicago" tells the story of two individuals finding their way to the bustling city of Chicago, a place they hope will be their new home. The first verse describes a person who has just arrived in the city with only a dollar in their pocket and their feet on the ground. They feel optimistic about starting a new life in the city and plan to stay for a while. The second verse tells the story of God, who was a sailor on the sea and longed to be back on the shore. When he disembarks from his boat and steps onto the dock, he is grateful that he has not lost his soul. The final verse reflects on the journey to reach Chicago and the hardships that were encountered along the way. The singer looks forward to finally finding a place to rest their bones in the Windy City's Market Square.
Overall, the song captures the determination and optimism that many people have when moving to Chicago. The city is portrayed as a place of refuge and hope where people can build a new life for themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
And there's a home time coming in this big city-town
I'm looking forward to the feeling of being at home in this bustling city.
I got a dollar in my pocket and my feet on the ground
I may not have much money, but I'm grounded and ready to take on whatever comes my way.
In the morning a fast train gonna take me right down
I have a plan and I'm excited to get started on it right away.
To the center of the city, and to the center of the town
I'm headed straight for the heart of this city to see what it's all about.
And when I step off of that train into them streets, I'm gon' say
I'm ready to embrace this new adventure with open arms.
I got a dollar in my pocket and my feet here to stay
No matter what happens, I'm committed to staying grounded and making the most of my time here.
And here God was a sailor on that ocean so blue
Even God himself understands the longing for a sense of belonging and home in a new place.
He'd see the world from the water, but his heart would stay true
Despite being surrounded by the vastness of the ocean, he remained faithful to his own desires and needs.
And he would curse down the waves as they rose and fell
He expressed his frustration at being taken away from what he knew and loved.
For taking him from his city and from the wind on his shores
The ocean took him away from the comforts and routines he had established in his home city.
And when he step off of that boat onto that dock and kneel and pray
He was grateful to have finally found his way back home after being away for so long.
And thank God for not taking his soul away
He was relieved to have come out of the experience with his sense of self still intact.
It seems I've been walking now, for years at a time
I've spent a long time wandering, searching for a place to call home.
Come through hell and high water, come through desert and pine
I've faced many challenges and obstacles on my journey to find a place where I belong.
And in these boots I worn down, the miles to the store
I've put in a lot of hard work and physical effort to get to where I am now.
Just need a city with broad shoulders where I can later rest my bones
I'm looking for a place that can support me and provide a sense of stability and comfort.
And when I reach that city and from that Market Square
Once I find a place that feels like home, I'll know it and feel a sense of relief.
I'll cry, Thank God for Chicago, and the wind that she bears, yeah!
Chicago will be the place where I can finally let my guard down and be grateful for what I have.
Contributed by Joseph L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.