Deep South is a collection of 10 songs culled from the Southern United States and were primarily written in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Some of them have been rocked up a bit, but they still retain a traditional air to them. The songs and their performances bring to mind the likes of ZZ Top and the Allman Brothers. Leverty performs all of the instruments (save a couple tracks featuring female vocals, which were performed by Kristina Leverty and harmonica on "Man of Constant Sorrow"). In addition to electric guitar, a number of different instruments including dobro, guitarele (a combination guitar/ukelele), mandolin, lap steel guitar, and banjo. The result is an album that has a familiar, yet distinct experience.
This is a solid collection that is hard not to groove to. It has an easy going flow as we work through songs that sound fresh despite having been written more than a century ago. Production value is strong as the variety of instruments are all clear and discernible throughout the mix while the vocals are never hard to hear.
As I listen to the album, it is hard to pull out single songs to highlight as everything is uniformly solid. Each song bringing a slightly different feel to the table while as they all represent a common source. If push came to shove, I would have to recommend "Run On" which has a smooth flow and a serious nature, along with the rocked up "Samson and Delilah," then there is "Walk Beside Me" with its inviting acoustic guitar, not to be left out is "Wade in the Water" which has a very old school/new school feel with its traditional chorus combined with the electrified verse.
Now, I would be remiss if I did not mention "Man of Constant Sorrow," the one song I was familiar with prior to this album. How did I know this song? That's easy, I am a big fan of the Coen Brothers' O, Brother Where Art Thou?, where the song played something of an important role. This is a different arrangement, a bit more modern sounding while still being instantly recognizable and insanely catchy.
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