Blissful, dreamy, captivating, and above all esoteric, All Paths Diverge is yet another impressive feather in Nick DeSalvo’s discography, and a real showcase of what delving can and will accomplish in the studio and on the live circuit.
Release date: August 23, 2024 | Stickman Records/Blues Funeral Recordings | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Psych-rock has been having a wail of a time this year and with the release of All Paths Diverge by delving, I am personally in a state of musical rapture, able to chop between heaviness, moods, and stylistic choices at whim in the burgeoning genre. Yet being honest, All Paths Diverge, like its forebear Hirschbrunnen, will be close to, if not topping my top played of 2024. It is a sonic experience like none you’ve heard this year, delicately balancing experimental electronica against multi-instrumentalist Nick DeSalvo’s prog-rock foundations.
delving is a one-man writing and recording project, with a live band comprised of friends from the scene. Nick DeSalvo, known for his fifteen years or so helming Elder, seems to be able to conjure high-quality, engaging rock at whim, with releases with Weite, ELDOVAR, and Elder over the last three years, not to mention a live album that just released for Elder too. You get a real sense of direction when you put on each of his records from the very first second.
With All Paths Diverge, you can feel the focus on creativity and relaxation immediately. The oscillating electronica that leads the album is a sensory delight, but when the pianos, drums, guitars, and further layers of synths join the fray, you’re quickly transported to what I can only describe as this hybrid between rock and meditation. When first describing this first track “Sentinel” to friends after receiving the record, I couldn’t help but jokingly compare it to ASMR, because it hits all the right spots, constantly. From the soft entrance to the raucous finale, I’m constantly captivated.
“Omnipresence” is what I’d describe as quintessential delving, and will also go down well with fans of Gold & Silver, the side-project Nick had within Elder, that ultimately had to spin off completely. Heavy on the rock and synth combo, it’s a powerful song that gets the body moving and the mind wandering.
Yet the songs that truly captivate me this time around are the experimental songs, which use stereo effects to their utmost. “Chain of Mind” blends sci-fi synths with prog-rock in a way I didn’t know possible. Synths twinkle in either ear, whilst the guitar and drum groove lull you into a state of bliss. Intrigued by his unique take on blending electronica and rock, I asked Nick what gear and programs he was using to create such sounds and he had this to say:
‘I used lots of different gear on those songs. Various hardware synthesizers (Moog Subsequent 37, Sequential OB-6, Hydrasynth), some semi-modular gear which I’ve since gotten rid of… probably a plugin here and there. I record while writing so lots of sounds were captured in a moment of jamming and I’m literally unable to recreate them, so the live versions of the songs will always be a bit different.’
The last sentence took me aback knowing I won’t hear some sounds faithfully recreated live, but I also absolutely love this approach. Whilst easy to admire the craft of the top electronic artists, their endless layers and dedication to finding new sounds, nothing beats an organic jam and hearing someone willing to let rip straight to record.
One of the truly standout tracks of the album and one I frequently revisit is “New Meridian”. This is a post/prog/psych rock track that opens with electronica that I’m still, after a month and flicking through my library of wibbly wobbly electronic artists unable to define. Said electronica captivates and relaxes you until suddenly DeSalvo hits you with the aforementioned rock blend, an intense and rousing finale to an unpredictable and mesmerising song. Knowing what Nick mentioned to me, it’ll be fascinating to see how this track could play out live.
I feel “Zodiak”, the first single released from the album is the defining track of the album. It feels like it blends all the flavours, experimental or legacy, from delving‘s catalogue into one epic track. Standing at thirteen minutes, this sonic journey has an exceptionally unique and empowering rock motif that pervades the first half of the track, blending with playful synths and electronica, before heading into more of a classic prog-rock direction with a big climax. The final four or five minutes are a gorgeous ambient soundscape that contrasts brilliantly with the massive riffs that just gripped the listener.
The album ends in a way I realise is becoming a trademark for DeSalvo projects. In my opinion, there is a pattern of dropping the biggest riffs of the album with the biggest climax in the second to last track, whilst the final track is more of a reflection and a goodbye. Hirschbrunnen and Elder‘s Innate Passage also felt like this, ending peacefully rather than leaving you with a grandiose gap in your life. “Vanish With Grace” is an apt name for this finale too. A perfect driving track owing to its hypnotic energy and post-prog guitars, the track hits its zenith early on before tapering out into a wild electronic trip. Some of the closing beats are massive, really nicely balancing bass and drums together, with the studio electronica pervasive throughout.
And with all this, there is also the realisation that this is all written, played, and recorded by one bloke alone in his home studio. It’s inspirational, yet also humbling to think of the possibilities available nowadays, that such quality is attainable. But bringing the project to the stage is also something critical for delving, and as such Nick has enlisted the help of guitarist Michael Risberg (Elder, Weite), bassist Ingwer Boysen (Weite, High Fighter) and drummer Uno Bruniusson (Maggot Heart, ex-Death Alley).
delving has been putting on a few festival shows so far this summer, but head out properly on tour in the autumn, with dates across Europe, starting with an appearance at Desertfest Belgium, before heading out on tour with Iron Jinn. On the band and their performances, Nick had this to say:
‘This is a band that’s really just getting started, we’ve played less than 10 shows together and I think we’re just now starting to gel. There is amazing chemistry amongst us and it’s really exciting to see how we can morph and jam on the songs live. The live show will feature a lot of improvising and jamming, the hope is that every show will be a bit different.’
Hearing new takes on these tracks that I’ve already played countless times over will be brilliant. It’ll be awesome to see how the uplifting, tranquil, yet rocky vibe translates to the live stage too.
You can only imagine what DeSalvo has in him next, but I can imagine we’ll be seeing a new Elder album before long. For now, let’s bask in the hazy glory of All Paths Diverge. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am.
