A record of diversity, held together with a cohesive gel that gets it stuck in your hair
Rocco DeLuca comes from the tour-bus of Bo Diddley, brandishing a guitar and a few tricks up his sleeve. The son of Bo Diddley's touring guitarist he spent his youth on the road with his dad and then got the opportunity to open for such greats as John Lee Hooker, John Mayall and Taj Mahal, before long his demo was in the hands of Kiefer Sutherland and Jude Cole at Ironworks, and the rest, as they say, is history.
His varied style lends to a record that is both very easy to get extremely involved in, dancing away in your bedroom to the heavy, mighty guitars that are occasionally reminiscent of Pearl Jam, and also equally as easy to have on as a subtle soundtrack to you going about your business, 'Colourful' being an example of a chilled-out soul ride that lends to an easy atmosphere in which relaxation is the prerogative.
His voice is sublime, at times sounding like Devendra Banhart, as on 'Dope', at times sounding like Walter Schreifels, as on 'Draw', at times sounding completely unique. It's a strong singing voice, completely masculine, but completely understanding and completely heartfelt; Rocco DeLuca is an old-school songwriter with a taste for the modern, a combination of timeless influences that have created someone who stands out form a dull pack of copycats.
'Bus Ride' is slow and lovely, like a Jack Johnson that you can relate to, and 'Swing Low' starts with some classic sounds, a man with the ability to play slide-guitar well, that trait should never be overlooked! He has a musicality about him that seems impossible to extinguish, he melds Nirvana/Hole-like chord sequences with Jack White-esque vocals and gets away with it with style. 'Gravitate' is an example of Rocco DeLuca and The Burden finding the perfect mix and producing a tune that hits all the right spots.
'Draw', as previously stated, is very Rival Schools and will get you reaching again for your dusty copy of United By Fate, it is a truly superb record which ensures that the album is a real goer right up until the end. Last song 'Favor' sees the album off nicely, you're left with a few bonus treats and after that you're left with a feeling of contentment in the knowledge that that was a good album.
Good things are coming your way if you decide to go for Rocco DeLuca and The Burden's debut album 'I Trust You To Kill Me', it's a mix of mighty rapidity and slow, concentrated songwriting, of rock and punk influenced playing, as much as of phrases informed by classics of blues and jazz, it's easy-listening and it's intense involved participation. It's a good record that suits a summer's evening as much as full-on nighttimes' partying.