Albums of the Year 2025: #83

The Delines' fourth record, Mr. Luck and Ms. Doom, came from a night in Dublin, Ireland, when singer Amy Boone asked Willy Vlautin to write a romantic tune. It’s the story of two ragged misfits: a failed criminal and a depressive house cleaner who somehow hit the lottery in meeting each other.

With that song, the soul of the record was found: ragged couples on the run. Recording began at Bocce Studios with longtime collaborator John Morgan Askew. The record features Amy Boone's lush, world-worn voice, the cinematic production skills of Askew, and the horn and string arrangement of Delines keyboardist and trumpeter, Cory Gray.

This is wide screen, CinemaScope, Delines at their best. Mr. Luck and Ms. Doom is the Delines' most realized and strongest album to date, a record of romantic misfits and grifters who live out of suitcases and cars, who can’t seem to settle down, who hope that in the next town or city will be the score that saves them.

Mr. Luck and Ms. Doom features the stalwart Delines line up: Amy Boone on vocals, Cory Gray on horns and keyboards, Sean Oldham on drums, Freddy Trujillo on bass, and Willy Vlautin on guitar.