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Dehd: Poetry review – a sparkling dialogue with rock’n’roll history

The Chicago trio go back in time and dip into big-chorused Americana, slacker indie and vintage soul – all with real feeling

Now, their fifth album arrives in a swirl of bratty pop-punk: opener Dog Days’ stop-start guitars accompany pouty playground-chant lyrics dripping with teenage melodrama. Later, they turn to sweeping, big-chorused Americana (Hard to Love), combine slacker indie and vintage soul for the irresistible Mood Ring – a sleazy, cheesy tale of unexpectedly reciprocated lust – and, on Necklace, cleverly meld country and grunge, the exaggerated scuzz offsetting sugary-sweet melodic hooks. While the band can’t quite maintain the heady momentum of the album’s first half – it does eventually peter out into samey, mid-tempo indie – Poetry still provides ample proof that its makers are experts at wringing entertainment and emotion from archly resurrected rock history.

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