(INSTANT RECORDS EP; 2013)
The music of Detroit’s Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas is a mash-up of styles and musical references that leaves you wanting more. The five tracks on DEMONS has definitely whetted my appetite for a full-length (coming later this year, if things go as planned). Like its predecessor, 2010’s WEIRD LOOKING WOMEN IN TOO MANY CLOTHES, the EP shows that the 20-something singer is a vocal force to be reckoned with. The songs, also, exhibit an ability to write: the lyrical content is at once, witty, sexy and – on a deeper level – somewhat subversive, while the music and melodies are memorable, stick-in-your-head cool. There are many artists out there making a lot of money with a whole lot less talent! The Deltas (guitarists Mike Krygier and Gordon Smith, bassist Ben Sturley, drummer Steve Stetson and keyboardist Taylor Pierson) and guests (a horn section including Daniel Zlotnik, John Rahleeh and Yoanni Pino) prove they are no slouches, either, offering a muscular, elastic underpinning for Jessica’s voice.
The title tune has a kind of Squirrel Nut Zippers, old school hot jazz feel to it, which really suits the ample vocal skills of Ms Hernandez well. Not to be pigeonholed in one genre, the band also proves adept at a more conventional pop/rock sound on “Caught Up,” while a cover of Conway Twitty’s “Big Town” adds a bit of a bossa nova feel to the country twang. “Shadow Boy” is an atmospheric, slow simmering and moody ballad, bringing a touch of the Gothic to the mix. “Picture Me With You (Carnie Threesome)” closes the short set. It’s an odd, circus midway/ska kind of thing with a creepy Farfisa running throughout and lyrics to match: “I’ve been sleeping with your boyfriend/I’ve been sleeping in his bed/Picture me dead/Picture me with you.” Anyone exhibiting the scope and musical breadth found on DEMONS deserves to be huge! You can do your part by visiting jessicahernandez.merchtable.com to get your copy (along with WEIRD WOMEN… and other goodies). You won’t be sorry.