Dan Bubien & the Delta Struts have established themselves in the Pittsburgh music scene with a reputation for dependability and excellence.
With one listen, you can just tell the blues-rock-soul band’s new album, “Thieves & Yesterdays,” is the one frontman Bubien, of Aliquippa, has been itching to make.
Confidence and purpose burst from every track, heard in each soulful vocal wail, each testifying guitar run and every thick groove achieved by Bubien and his bandmates, including fellow six-string ace Shawn Mazzei.
With a tight, seasoned rhythm section of Christian “Captain” Caputo and Mark Pollera, and guest appearances from two of the Beaver County’s finest sidemen — keyboardist Joe Munroe and harmonica player Charlie Barath — “Thieves & Yesterdays” is an album that demands attention now.
“We are very much looking forward to what 2019 has to bring,” Bubien said. “We’re excited to be releasing “Thieves & Yesterdays,” which will be available for purchase on Feb. 1.”
Count on Bubien & the Delta Struts to feature some of the new songs Wednesday, when headlining Jergel’s Rhythm Grille in Marshall Township, and again Thursday night when they open for Chicago singer-songwriter J.D. Simo at the Hard Rock Cafe at Station Square in Pittsburgh.
“It’s personally my third release since 2013 but the first with an official band alongside with me, which just made the entire process that much more meaningful to me,” Bubien said. “I also think because of that, it’s just that much better. We really tried to take our time and do everything right on this record. We really worked on our preproduction, making sure we were rehearsed and had enough time with the songs to let them really sink in, but not too much where they can start to feel stale and performances can suffer.”
The song “Shake That Thang” has a loose and live celebratory feel. “Shirley” gets funky in its bridges, then slows up for a smooth soul chorus. “Heavy Toll” carries a hard Delta blues and rock sound.
Rob O’Friel, from Pittsburgh’s 91.3-WYEP, hears Black Crowes and Allman Brothers influences, praising “Thieves & Yesterdays” for its “ragged tightness” and “crunchy, gritty, jammy” sound.
Tedeschi Trucks Band and Marcus King Band influences stand out, too.
From drum parts to ancillary percussion and the bass and guitar tones, Bubien and & Delta Struts individually and collectively thought everything out.
“We left room for the proper amount of experimentation in the studio when it came to tones and capturing the sound we wanted, and there were obviously spontaneous moments of inspiration in the studio that made the whole process feel alive and right,” Bubien said.
The foundation of drums, bass and rhythm guitars was all recorded live, “so it has real living, organic quality to it, I believe,” Bubien said, adding the album “represents our current sound and vibe pretty well.”
The official CD release show is April 6 at Mr. Smalls Funhouse in Millvale.
A week prior, they’ll kick off a tour in Nashville, playing a dozen markets including Knoxville, Tenn., and Bowling Green, Ky.
“We signed on to a three-month contract that will run through June with Spark Joy Music, who has us booked in the Midwest and Eastern region of the country with a few Southern markets. We’re really looking forward to getting out there on the road and representing Pittsburgh and presenting our music and show to different markets and parts of the country,” Bubien said. “I think our sound, the music that inspires us, the music I have written over the years and what we do, specifically resonates in the South, so we’re really interested on how it will be received.”
