Nashville – Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas may have named their debut LP Secret Evil, but once they hit the stage the other night, their secret was out . . . for no-holds-barred soul, with high energy and a passionate diva at the helm, call the Deltas. The Detroit-based group took a small divergence from their tour with St. Paul and the Broken Bones to crash into town for an early set at The Basement.
Jessica, a short and spunky frontwoman with straight black hair and a clashing striped shirt with plaid pants, was flanked by a solid quintet of shaggy-haired rockers who dropped explosive groove bombs for 60 non-stop minutes. Their sound is a mash-up of Detroit muscle and Muscle Shoals, blended with some Caribbean and ska underpinnings with an old-school No Doubt vibe sprinkled on top. Hernandez’s singing is no nonsense and matter-of-fact. In her words you can hear everybody from Etta James to Adele.
In an effort to jam pack their set full of as many songs as possible, Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas barely took a moment to breathe between each song, practically forcing one right into the next. They stuck mainly to tunes from Secret Evil, which only hit record store shelves this past August. They got the crowd’s feet thumping with “No Place Left to Hide,” the album’s opening track, which sounds almost like a warning to the listener. “Caught Up” kept the momentum going with pounding drums and a thick vibrato laid on by Jessica. As the set rolled on and the evening got a little later, the tiny venue continued to fill with bodies in search of something soulful and uplifting. None were disappointed. Folks young and old converged up the small brick lair, as the Deltas are really a band that transcends any genre or age.
In addition to vocal duties Jessica will pick up the guitar or any number of percussion instruments. They slowed things down with “Cry Cry Cry”, a soft ballad that contrasts with the thunderous dance hall numbers that compose most of the band’s catalog. They closed with the corky tune, “Carney Threesome,” before which Jessica informed the audience “This one is my dad’s favorite song that I’ve ever written”.
Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas have been riding high since the release of Secret Evil. A band that started in a loft space above Jessica’s parents’ bakery, they have been met with critical success and a growing following (approaching 20,000 fans on their Facebook page). They on tour almost non-stop for the remainder of 2014.
You can catch Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas on the road with St. Paul and the Broken Bones for a while before they break off and do some shows on their own.
Photo Credit: Michael Booth
Kevin Ott
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