American Love Call

Durand Jones & the Indications aren't looking backwards. Helmed by foil vocalists in Durand Jones and drummer Aaron Frazer, the Indications conjure the dynamism of Jackie Wilson, Curtis Mayfield, AND the Impressions. Even with an aesthetic steeped in the golden, strings-infused dreaminess of early '70s soul, the Indications' sophomore LP, American Love Call, is planted firmly in the present, with the urgency of this moment in time.

Recorded at Brooklyn's Studio G earlier this summer, American Love Call is an expansion of the band's sound, making a leap forward in both style and songwriting. Pulling influence from a variety of sounds like R&B, gospel, early folk rock, and classical music, the Indications' second effort has a newfound confidence, with Jones' bellowing voice and Frazer's soothing falsetto filled out by backing vocals and instrumentation. Thematically, the album covers tough ground, like the danger of simplifying and romanticizing the past, but it also attempts to reconcile, searching for unifying commonalities. Brooding, bold, and pensive, American Love Call is the result of the band fleshing out its craft and elevating its dreamy, old-soul sound.