Chicago trio Dehd are back with their newest release Blue Skies, their first for Fat Possum Records. With the acclaim that their 2020 release Flower of Devotion received, Dehd found themselves in an elevated position resource-wise. However, even with this newfound acclaim, Dehd booked the same studio where they recorded Flower of Devotion. However, this time, they booked three times as much studio time for what would become Blue Skies.
Blue Skies is chock full of catchy bangers that make you want bop. Each hook sees Emily Kempf (and at times Jason Balla) perfectly balancing the melody teasing the listener and keeping each track moving right along. One of my favorite tracks on the album is "Memories" in which we get a duet where the harmonies and vocal play are just right.
Is Blue Skies a repeat of Flower of Devotion? No, Blue Skies brings in a lot of self-reflection and sees the trio pushing themselves even more creatively than they have before. There are also themes of living free and doing more living. With tracks like these, I think we have just the right soundtrack to do that.
Rating - 4.5/5