Do you remember the first time you heard Vancouver’s Delhi 2 Dublin? After realizing it was futile to resist dancing, was your first thought “What’s that sound”? Followed by: “Where can I download this?” Whatever those first impressions were, take a scrap of paper and a pen, and record those memories because Turn Up the Stereo, the band’s latest release, will send you on a roller coaster of what it means to be an evolving blend of world music. Forget everything you knew about D2D. The musical kaleidoscope is over.
The twenty-first century has been infused into these traditional instruments further as more electronic polish is added to unify D2D’s sound on their third LP. Compared to previous releases, Turn Up the Stereo sounds more like remixed versions of D2D songs. The first audible change, aside from the much more synthetic club-like sound, is how much more instruments blend together. The second is that the instruments seem to play with a lot more effect than ever before. Vocals, as always, are distinctive and perfect for a high energy gig, but not the focus for most songs. D2D has moved further from eclectic eccentrics with an addictive yet bizarre sound to assimilate towards being mainstream DJ party animals, with an epic sound that deserves to be cranked from the airwaves proudly with the windows down. (Independent, delhi2dublin.com) Jesse Blackman