Delta - Birmingham's lost Geniuses
- bjtaylor1975
- Oct 19
- 4 min read
This week’s Throwing It Back revisits Delta, one of Birmingham’s great unsung treasures. Formed in 1993 from the ashes of cult Sarah Records indie band The Sea Urchins, the band’s nucleus comprised brothers James and Patrick Roberts on guitar and vocals.
Early releases — a 10” for Che Records and three excellent singles for Dishy Records — quickly established their melodic flair. But a move to the Acid Jazz subsidiary Focus stalled their progress, leaving them trapped in label limbo for nearly five years with no new material. When they finally wriggled free, Dishy came to the rescue, releasing Laughing Mostly in 1998 — a compilation of B-sides and demos that The Guardian hailed as “the last great album of the millennium.” That’s the record I want to focus on today.
It opens with “Beautiful,” a soulful, smouldering track that hints at the Neil Young & Crazy Horse influence that runs through the band’s sound. Patrick Roberts’ downbeat vocal delivers every line with weary grace.
Next comes “Low Flying,” one of my personal favourites — a propulsive slice of Byrdsian jangle driven by a taut rhythm section and James Roberts’ tremulous, vulnerable vocal.
“Real Time” keeps that chiming guitar aesthetic alive but layers in some gorgeously expressive lead work from Rob Cooksey. It’s drenched in soul and pathos, evoking a long-lost Laurel Canyon gem from the early ’70s.
“You’re a Liar” is another standout — timeless, familiar, and criminally overlooked. It channels solo Lennon and Crazy Horse, all aching vocals and interwoven guitars. Had a major label championed them in the mid-’90s, Delta might easily have joined Cast and Ocean Colour Scene in the charts.
Another highlight, “Tight,” pairs Roger McGuinn-style 12-string shimmer with tight dual harmonies. Cooksey again shines, his ferocious lead lines cutting through the jangle with real bite.
Then comes “Cowboy Raga,” a psychedelic masterstroke — Roberts brothers in perfect harmony over kaleidoscopic guitars and rolling basslines. It’s pure, soulful alchemy from a band utterly in sync.
“Mean Time” shifts gears with bluesy piano and Stones-esque swagger — a rollicking rocker built around a rolling chorus and Cooksey’s signature fiery guitar work.
“Sing It to Me” strips everything back to just James Roberts and his acoustic — a tender, Neil Young–esque ballad that could’ve slipped straight off After the Gold Rush.
Brother Patrick takes the reins on “Angel,” channelling the heavier side of Young’s catalogue. It’s a ragged, electric storm, with Cooksey again delivering glorious, fuzz-soaked leads in full Crazy Horse mode.
“It’s Hard for a Heart,” fuses their Beatles and Crazy Horse influences into something wholly their own — melodic yet muscular, Lennon-esque yet earthy. The guitars snarl, the choruses soar, and Cooksey tears through it all with inspired precision.
“In the Main” is an undeniable standout — the track that captures Delta in pure distilled form. It showcases everything the band does best: emotive vocals, rich melody, and shimmering guitar interplay. James Roberts delivers every line as if each word carries its own weight, while Rob Cooksey punctuates the track with bursts of soulful flair — his lead work weaving effortlessly through the melody, both tender and electrifying.
“Clever Girl” sees Roberts channelling his inner Neil Young, offering an acoustic-led piece full of mid-’70s fragility. The ghost of Tonight’s the Night lingers throughout — cracked, intimate, and beautifully human.
Then comes “Delivered” — a full-blooded rocker built around an exultant, one-word chorus that’s pure catharsis. The Roberts brothers lock into perfect harmony, their vocals soaring over Cooksey’s searing guitar. It’s baffling that a label could ever have shelved material this good — perhaps it was simply too heartfelt, too honest for its time.
“Silly World” is another gem among gems — a yearning slow-burner that swells into a huge, emotional chorus. It’s cinematic in scope, shot through with that unmistakable Delta ache.
“In the Final End,” originally the closer on the compilation, simmers with restrained intensity — its slow-burning guitars and raw emotion giving it the feeling of a final reckoning.
The recent reissue adds several bonus tracks that underline just how deep Delta’s vault runs. “All My Life,” an early ’90s single, is a country-rock twanger with the warm shimmer of Moby Grape — the kind of song most bands would kill to have written.
“Fall Apart” follows, fragile and timeless, steeped in melancholy and floating somewhere between dream and despair.
Then there’s “Make It Right,” the track that first introduced me to the band in the mid-’90s. It’s a glorious Crazy Horse–style anthem, driven by lush wah-wah guitar and a chorus that teeters on the brink of collapse. James Roberts’ voice sounds ready to break at any moment — and that’s precisely what makes it so powerful.
Debut single “Gun” arrives next — an eight-minute odyssey of menace and atmosphere. The Roberts brothers’ distorted, almost ghostly vocals feel like they’re coming through a cracked mic, adding to the tension. A taut, funky drumbeat underpins the track as guitars flare and retreat, exploding at just the right moments. It’s an audacious debut — raw, inventive, and fearless.
“Take Away the Pain” returns to James Roberts’ acoustic introspection, stripped back and tender, before “Sugared Up” closes the collection with a languid, blues-inflected groove. Cooksey once again delivers effortlessly soulful guitar lines, while Roberts emotes with weary, heartfelt conviction.
And with that, the album fades out — a collection that feels less like a compilation and more like a lost classic finally allowed to breathe.Delta never got the recognition they deserved, but Laughing Mostly stands as a lost masterpiece — a record bursting with soul, melody, and a timeless emotional punch. Birmingham’s lost geniuses, indeed.
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