Rounder

The late, radical historian Howard Zinn could’ve just as easily titled his big book History From Below instead of A People’s History of the United States. It’s no coincidence that the roots-leaning indie rock band Delta Spirit settled on that title for its second album. Zinn inspired the group’s on-the-ground social consciousness. The scrappy, hard-charging ‘60s pop of “911” and the shape-shifting, folk-meets-noise rock story-song “Ballad of Vitaly” express empathy for people, but no patience for violence. Even though this set has a few more finger-picked acoustic songs than its predecessor, it feels more urgent. Part of that’s the subject matter and part of it is singer Matthew Vasquez’s livewire yowling. Then there’s the pulsing, Eastern-sounding “White Table,” a song as close to a ticking musical time bomb as they come.