Oak Hill Drifters makes the type of American roots music that will have a lot of us turning to again and again. Formed back in 2014, the band’s current lineup includes Rachel Decker, Craig Roy, George Dimitrov and Tom Pearce. When I pressed play on their latest EP The Iris Sessions, I was immediately impressed by their sounds, making the type of pure American roots music that will sound like a lot of the stuff that came out of the 1940s – 1960s. There’s definitely something ageless about their music.
The Iris Sessions opens up with “Carpe Dame,” where some spaghetti western vibes come into this recording for a great sound. Next, Decker’s wonderful vocals come in. She sings with feeling on this track. All the instrumentals come together for a great vibe. Decker shows her chops as she sings with tons of mood and feeling. Some revved guitars light up the sounds on “Rusty.” Decker sings over this bed of honky tonk sounds. The upbeat and jaunty vibes and the melodic keys also sounded really good. Some wind instruments sound out toward the start of “Fair Game.” There was a jazzy sense to this track as well as some lounge flavors. The vibe was very retro and I was instantly reminded of music from the ‘40s and ‘50s. Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack comes to mind here.
On “Believe Me, Iris,” some sauntering tunes from the guitar come through. Soon, they are joined by some delicious horns. Decker’s voice here is warm and intoxicating. The band really nails it with their poppin’ energy. Some horns and guitars greet the start of “Shindig” for a bustling and jaunty Americana sound. The energy was on high. The sounds of the accordion come in for a great effect. This was a great way to end the album.
In each and every track on this album, the band members throw everything they have into their music. But all in all, I really enjoyed Decker’s, the frontwoman to the band, performances. Her delivery shows she’s been around the circuit for a while, igniting these songs with her enthusiasm and energy. Not only that, they seem to be a jam band, going on to jam out on many of their songs. There’s a lot going on on these five numbers, so get on the train and see what they’re all about. You don’t want to miss out!
