Durand Jones & The Indications – American Love Call (LP, Dead Oceans)

Black vinyl! “American Love Call” by Durand Jones & The Indications is the follow-up to the band’s acclaimed self-titled debut album and tells the story of balancing love and anger in contemporary America. “Old-school soul with a new-school honesty,” was NPR’s verdict on the latest album by the twenty-something soul band, who evoked the dynamism and energy of artists such as Jackie Wilson, Curtis Mayfield, and The Impressions on their rousing debut. The lineup consists of Durand Jones (vocals) and his four-piece backing band, consisting of Blake Rhein (guitar), Kyle Houpt (bass), and Steve Okonski (keyboards), with Aaron Frazer on drums as another outstanding vocalist. “American Love Call” was recorded earlier this summer at Brooklyn’s Studio G and represents an evolution in the band’s sound. Drawing from a variety of influences, ranging from R&B and gospel to early folk-rock sounds and classical music, the band’s sound is evolving. range, the follow-up brims with newfound confidence, overshadowed only by Jones’ barking vocals and Frazer’s soothing falsetto. Thematically, the album covers difficult terrain and is always aware of the danger of simplifying or romanticizing the past. But Jones also strives for reconciliation and searches for unifying commonalities in the sound of his relatively young band. Profound, daring, and thoughtful: “American Love Call” is the result of a band that has teased out the best of itself and taken its dreamy, old-fashioned soul sound to a new level.