The imperial

"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".

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"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".

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"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".

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