Rocco DeLuca
Published 7:00 am Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The touchstones are clear. Rocco DeLuca is fond of Led Zeppelin, and finds footholds in the same hard-blues that Jack White has turned into a career of reductive reinterpretation. DeLuca is not just an amalgam of his influences, though, offering uncommon interpretations on common themes. DeLucas sound resides somewhere between the soil and the sky; his frequent use of dobro highlights the push and pull of earthy and ethereal, paring its steely sound against the haunting effect of sinewy slide work. DeLucas rhythm section, The Burden, keep the songs driving forward with a feel thats not quite rhythm and blues, not quite rock & roll, and DeLucas vocals capably handle a range of dynamics and moods, feeling just as steady in tortured howls as in subtle crooning, proving DeLuca as capable and engaging a singer as any of his contemporaries. Though cries of cribbing are a given, DeLuca rises deftly beyond his influences, even as his music openly announces them. What more can we ask? Photo courtesy Daniel Lanois.
Tue., May 5, 8 p.m., 2009
