2020's
What Is There
saw
Delta Spirit
abandon the indie roots-rock style of early efforts like
Ode to Sunshine
and
History from Below
for a sound that hewed closer to the slick, modern Americana-pop of the
Killers
.
One Is One
continues in that vein, adding a dense slurry of electronic elements to the early proceedings and a surprisingly
Beatlesque
sense of adventure to the latter half. In less-skilled hands, such deviations could induce whiplash, but there's a marked assuredness behind disparate cuts like the vampy disco-banger "It Ain't Easy," the Spaghetti Western-kissed "Ghost of Caddo," and the artsy, multi-layered "Thoughts on Seneca." That quiet swagger seeps into the album's quieter moments as well, with the poised "Lottery Ticket" earning its warm soft-rock patina and the gospel-tinged closer "On & On (Look Away)" its opulent, widescreen grandeur.
finally gets the recipe right, crystallizing
's multifaceted style into something that is uniquely theirs. ~ James Christopher Monger