Music / rock

The imperial


Reviews (3)


The line of best fit

d. 8. Jan. 2019

By

By

Janne Oinonen

d. 8. Jan. 2019

"There's currently no shortage of retro-soul acts gazing back to the genre's golden era. Although the band's certainly keenly aware of how the classics were put together, The Imperial is far from a standard rulebook-revising nostalgia turn. Both the stark realism of the romance-averse blue-collar settings (here, the narrators are too busy hustling for a living to croon sugar-coated rhymes about romantic ideals) and potent musical left-turns (such as the stripped-bare minimalism of the weary-beyond-words "Roll Back My Life") make The Imperial sound thoroughly authentic, as opposed to a trip through someone else's back pages".


Uncut

d. 11. Jan. 2019

By

By

Rob Hughes

d. 11. Jan. 2019

"The Imperial is mainly about connections both missed and met, however briefly. The title track sees two ex-lovers reunite up for one last drink, 10 years after he was sent to prison for a deal that went south and ruined their relationship. "Let's Be Us Again" is a country-soul ballad that stands alongside the work of Lambchop, Boone on terrific form as she details a couple who are desperately trying to rekindle what they once had: "Let's go downtown/And hide in some old lounge/And let it get loose and easy". Even the most unbearably sad tales - "Holly The Hustle"; "He Don't Burn For Me" - are given empathetic grace by The Delines' stirring arrangements".


Glide Magazine

d. 10. Jan. 2019

By

By

Jim Hynes

d. 10. Jan. 2019

"The Delines have an irresistible, compelling sound, due to the weary, soulful vocals of Amy Boone and guitarist/songwriter Willy Vlautin's desperate noir arrangements centered on his vivid, mostly down and out characters ... Yes, we're barely into 2019 and already likely have a candidate for one of this year's strongest albums".