Nick Chandler and Delivered’s new release, a single entitled “Old Devil’s Dream”, is the band’s first foray since unleashing their 2022 full-length Silver Bird on an unsuspecting bluegrass community. Chandler’s prodigious mandolin playing, guitarist Spencer Atkinson, bassist Gary Trivette, and banjo player Jake Burrows share that rare telepathic bond that seemingly great musical units, regardless of genre, rely on. It has sustained them through a handful of releases, and “Old Devil’s Dream” illustrates its continued development. They haven’t yet reached their peak, but they are singing and playing at a level that few outfits ever surpass, let alone match.
Written by Thomas Goldsmith, Chandler puts the distinctive stamp of his arranging talents on the cut. “Old Devil’s Dream” has a clear design and aims to please both the artists and the audience. It builds in a measured fashion, never rushing its development, towards the climatic payoff of its chorus. The players, especially Chandler and Burrows, demonstrate an effortless interplay. It springs forth from a long-standing acquaintance and musical synergy. Chandler and his counterparts go to great pains to strike the right accord between the song’s lyrical and musical elements. “Old Devil’s Dream” features a fully realized lyric while affording each of the main players, banjo, guitarist, and mandolin, plenty of opportunity to shine.
The singing shines as well. No listener will confuse any of the voices as virtuoso vocal talents, but their combined skills are considerable. Harmonies are abundant. They are never unnecessarily pretty, and authenticity reigns supreme. Their unquestionable musicality is one of the chief strengths distinguishing “Old Devil’s Dream” from more conventional fare. It strengthens the convincing message of the song’s lyrics. Story and character dominate the single, and whatever messaging listeners collect from listening to the track never descends into preachiness.
The story and character are deftly handled. Goldsmith’s songwriting conveys those strengths through broad brushstrokes rather than belaboring details. Anyone who has listened to bluegrass for years will recognize certain thematic overlaps with Delivered’s predecessors. However, Goldsmith and the band conspire to dispatch material that harbors an unique and individual voice. It never hits you as an imitation. This is the real deal, 200 proof, no chaser.
It’s well-served by outstanding production values. The mandate for anyone working on this track is simple; any sonic auteur isn’t beholden to wrestle with a bevy of instrumental voices. Nick Chandler and Delivered present their musical vision free from clutter, unadorned by pretense, and in a straightforward manner. “Old Devil’s Dream” never overstays its welcome.
This preview of the upcoming new full-length is well worth your time and purchase price. It isn’t a song you can only hear a few times before exhausting its merits. “Old Devil’s Dream” holds up under repeated listens and boasts a warm consistency that keeps you wanting more. Nick Chandler and Delivered are loyal adherents of a time-tested tradition, but they aren’t hidebound purists. Bluegrass isn’t treated like a butterfly pinned under glass. It is a living thing in their hands and remains capable of conveying life’s experiences to every listener.
Chadwick Easton