Although only their second major release, Deaf Havana have been through both dramatic line-up and genre changes. Starting as a hardcore band it was their first major label release, Fools and Worthless Liars that saw the focus on vocals rest solely on James Veck-Gilodi and a shift to a solid rock focal point. With their second major label release Old Souls, Deaf Havana take this focal point and run with it.
Opener, and in vain of The Gaslight Anthem, “Boston Square” is instantaneous in showcasing the album. It is the set up of a stadium rock album, and it earns this title not from imitation but because the songs are nothing less than anthemic.
Comparing side-by-side, Fools and Worthless Liars now appears as the slightly awkward teen years of the band, with flecks of self-doubt speckled within whereas Old Souls is the self-assured Deaf Havana.
Layering their now comfort of traditional rock with appearances of piano, horns and string sections, the band cement their careers as musicians. Veck-Gilodi’s vocals are vital to the album, having the edge to cut through the silky acoustic guitars in tracks like “Subterranean Bullshit Blues” whilst still able to compliment the softer sound of tracks like “Saved”. While sonically the album has a classic tone it is the depth to the lyrics, from heavy drinking, to guilt, to death; that truly makes the sound feel timeless.
What the band has achieved is a complete album. One that solidifies that Deaf Havana now has an entirely new meaning from its origins and as final track “Caro Padre” plays out its almost impossible not to envision a huge venue with thousands inside singing every word.
