Informed equally by ’90s rock and modern pop, Tulsa-based The Del Toros infuse each of the 10 tracks on “Come Down” with a sharp sense of melody and a clear vision. Each of the songs is incredibly friendly to the ear, which is good — you’ll have them with you for a while afterward.
The starting point is Davey Rumsey, whose excellent vocals and strong songwriting anchor the release. The rest of the guitars/ bass/drums combo follows him, doing a great job of enhancing the sound without covering up Rumsey.
The four owe a deep gratitude to Chris McLeod, who helped engineer the album into the slick, tight release that it is. There is absolutely no indication that this is a local release; the songs sparkle, pop and crunch with a warmth and precision not heard in many major-label releases. That helps highlights like the banjo-led pop of “Nineteen,” the ominous post-grunge of “Give Up” and the delicate “Put Me on a Cloud” soar.
But don’t stop there: “Come Down” is a rare album in which almost every track is worth repeating. Fans of Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins and Bush will find kindred spirits during “Give Up” and “Hi-Hat Blues,” while supporters of Needtobreathe, The Fray and Snow Patrol will find much to celebrate in “Song,” “Nineteen” and “Insomnia.” The fact that the two different sounds mesh on the disc is another testament to the stellar songwriting and production values.
For more information, visit thedeltoros.net. —Stephen Carradini
