Cordovas made no attempt to hide their love of the Grateful Dead on their 2018 major label debut, That Santa Fe Channel, nor do they run away from that affection on its 2020 sequel, Destiny Hotel. To that Deadhead foundation the quartet adds a hefty dose of the Band, accentuating homespun harmonies and ragged rhythms. Aesthetically and musically, it's a logical, perhaps inevitable, fusion and it also plays into how Cordovas are the rare group of Dead aficionados who emphasize the group's songwriting side over jams. Cordovas can still groove, settling into funky Americana rock & soul more often than not, upon which leader Joe Firstman layers elastic melodies. The vibe is so laid-back that the craft of the construction almost seems incidental, but the sunny tunes give Destiny Hotel a hook as big as the group's nimble fusion of the Dead and Band, a hybrid that often recalls the softer side of 1970s pub rock.
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