by Page Forrest
Junior Editor
They’ve appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien and performed at Coachella. Their music has been used in episodes of Friday Night Lights, Grey’s Anatomy, and The Walking Dead. But chances are, you haven’t heard of Delta Spirit until now. When the Activities Board announced the name of the band playing during Spring Party, more than a few people were confused. “It sounds like a brand of deodorant,” one anonymous student remarked.
The initial four members of the band, Jon Jameson, Brandon Young, Matt Vasquez, and Sean Walker recorded an EP in 2005 titled I Think I’ve Found It. Their friend Kelly Winrich joined within the first year of the band’s formation. In 2007, the band released their first full length album, Ode to Sunshine. Sean Walker left the band in 2009, but was quickly replaced by Will McLaren, shortly after the release of their second album History From Below in 2010. Delta Spirit released their most recent, self-titled album in 2012, and the members are now based in Brooklyn, NY. Delta Spirit made it to spot 103 on the U.S. Billboard when it was released, beating History From Below’s high of 174.
The music of Delta Spirit seems to be fairly typical indie rock fare. One of the most popular singles from their 2012 release, California, is catchy, but not very distinguishable from the similar sounds flooding the radio. It would be easy for the casual listener to mix up a Delta Spirit track with a Foster the People or Phoenix song. The only notable difference is that the lead singer’s voice doesn’t have any particular stand-out qualities. Yamaha, another single from Delta Spirit, follows a similar pattern – definitely listenable, but not entirely remarkable.
However, the music is catchy, and while not entirely conducive to dancing, you can at least bob your head to it. The band’s first album, Ode to Sunshine, has a more distinct style. The song Trashcan is enjoyable, and more creative than later material, as is People, Turn Around, which evokes more of an old-fashioned sound.
Overall, the band isn’t bad – not anything surprising or special, but will definitely work for the Spring Party concert. Maybe no one’s heard of them, but that most likely has more to do with their generic sound than any major flaws.