Song Of The Day: Able Delilah – “Bad Love”

Check Out This Easy Grooving, Saxophone-Assisted Standout Track From Arlingon Band Able Delilah’s Debut Full-Length Album.

Welcome to Song of the Day, where we hip you to all the new local releases you should be caring about. By highlighting one new North Texas-sprung tune every week day, our hope is that you’ll find something new to love about the rich and abundant DFW music scene five days a week.

Able Delilah – “Bad Love”
RIYL: Fall Out Boy vocalist Patrick Stump.
What Else You Should Know: This jazzy, slightly off-kilter track comes from Arlington-based band Able Delilah’s debut full-length, Oh Okay. 

The soul/indie-rock band was formed in 2016 by childhood friends Samson Robinson and Kane Vinson. It then developed into a six-piece live ensemble, and by 2018, the band had released its first EP,  Wasted.

On Oh Okay’s “Bad Love,” Vinson croons of being blinded by the temptation of a lover, calling her a “reaper out of Carolina.” 

Vinson’s scat rapping in the opening verse is akin to that of Patrick Stump circa Fall Out Boy’s prime, only with less angst and a whole lot more flavor. His tone is erratic and cool as he tip-toes around the beat, mirroring his tip-toeing around his toxic love. 

The track’s instrumentation consists of an infectious guitar riff that plays over a majority of the track. As catchy as it is, though, it takes a backseat after an impeccable saxophone break is delivered by Zach Defour about a minute in — a bright, soulful and welcomed sharp turn from the rest of the song. 

“What’s a genre?” the band playfully asks in its Instagram bio, which is quite apt after listening through Oh Okay. “Bad Love” is just one track of many that doesn’t seem to fit a particular genre mold — it’s indie-rock fused with a jazzy twist and noticeable influences of hip-hop.

Vinson also recently posted an acoustic version of “Bad Love” on Instagram to hold us over while we wait for live shows to be a thing again.