Album Review: The Delta Riggs - Hex.Lover.Killer

If you've heard of The Delta Riggs, it probably has something to do with how much energy they pour into their live performances. The challenge that lies in the notoriety they've gained as a result of their vivacious stage presence is whether or not their recorded material would be able to live up to those expectations they've set for themselves. Well, The Delta Riggs certainly do not disappoint; their self-produced debut album Hex.Lover.Killer brings with it a hefty dose of vim and vigor, and matches their reputation for bashing out unadulterated psych rock.

The band hold a very strong DIY ethic, and in keeping with that, guitarist Alex “Rudi” Markwell singlehandedly spearheaded the album's production. In somewhat of an oxymoron, the production has preserved the raw grittiness of the band with the fuzzy, boozy spaghetti western guitar wails whilst simultaneously introducing a refined cool in the sleek groove of the organs embedded in each track. America melds a carefully crafted pace with the unadulterated kinetic energy of the outfit in a perfect exemplification of The Riggs' mind-bogglingly tidy grit.

The latter half of the album becomes more subdued with I Was Profound Tomorrow and Something Creeping, though even with the audacity turned down, there's a driving force in the raspy vocals and psychedelic licks that continues to propel the tracks and maintain a captivating force. If there was a fault to Hex.Lover.Killer, it would be the lack of variety – but with a sound that has been so cautiously perfected, it can hardly be considered a flaw to perpetuate such quality.