Rocco DeLuca and the Burden - I Trust You to Kill Me (Album)
Who says you can’t tell a book by its cover? Or a compact disc at least. On the front of Californian band The Burden’s debut album I Trust You to Kill Me (also the name of their road trip DVD), beanie-clad Rocco Deluca appears under a fading skyline, stood behind his favourite Dobro guitar. On the back a mere close-up of Deluca’s stubbly expressionless face stares out blankly, though it’s all quite stylishly presented. With no band info and although I’d never heard of the guy I expected a mostly laid back, probably roots-based styling and a few quality songs about hope and longing. Just a few good ones would do.
My prediction was pretty close.
Opening track ‘Gift’ is a journey through dramatic / thematic rock whilst ‘Dope’ treads the light bland-tastic, leading into proper wake-up moment the, err, colourful-sounding ‘Colorful’ which kicks a summer’s day field goal in the team’s accessibility stakes. ‘Bus Ride’ is a lazy comedown that morphs into a warm acoustic glow and sees Deluca at his most (James) Blunt. Things get restless during the whiny ‘Swing Low’ then smooth as a baby’s bee-hind for ‘Speak to me’. While ‘How Fast’ shakes itself about, I get distracted and wonder things like why 8 of these 13 songs have only one-word titles as I skip to the tight pants rock vocals of ‘Gravitate’, with its fine chorus, cool verses and a bridge to boot - not unlike Ryan Adams in electric mode. Next the gentle and immediately affecting swagger of ‘Mystified’, not unlike Ryan Adams in country mode (I’ve been listening to a lot of Ryan Adams lately) is followed by ‘Draw’, ‘Soul’ and ‘Favor’ in varying shades of musical grey, before the title track takes us out by the scruff of our necks.
The band’s label is part-owned by Keifer Sutherland whom was also their tour manager until just after this album was released, which was originally early last year. Apparently the band took over since copping flak for having ‘friends in high places’ and besides, as tour manager he made a much better actor… but handy promoter nonetheless. Either way, Rocco’s merry band of Burden sounds pretty okay to me on this mixed little bag. It won’t change your life, but it’s probably worth your time and pennies. Try before you buy.
Matt James
