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| Kevin Devine - Put Your Ghost To Rest | Kevin Devine - Put Your Ghost To Rest
Record Label: Capitol
Release Date: October 17, 2006
It is no secret that the world of acoustic guitar toting singer-songwriters is becoming increasingly crowded. You can usually find said performers in venues ranging from smoke-filled bars to hip, bustling coffee joints in your nearest city. Do not get me wrong, I am not implying that any of these artists are bad. I am merely stating that there are plenty of singer-songwriters that are extremely talented and need that “special something” in order to be noticed among the sea of other artists. Apparently Capitol Records saw that “special something” in 26 year-old Brooklyn native Kevin Devine when they signed him a few years back, even though he probably won’t bring in the astronomical numbers that are the major label norm.
Put Your Ghost To Rest will sound familiar to fans of Devine’s previous work, but at the same time, it marks a departure from his 2003 release, Split The Country, Split The Streets. Split The Country, Split The Streets had an even balance between energetic rockers and the mellower elements that carried over into Put Your Ghost To Rest. Put Your Ghost To Rest has some energetic songs of its own (“Just Stay”, “Like Cursing Kids”, “Trouble”), but, for the most part, the album sticks to mellow rock tracks and heartfelt acoustic ballads. After a relatively slow start to the album, “Just Stay” recalls elements of previous Devine records that highlighted more of his indie rock roots. The song slowly builds until it reaches the climatic chorus that provides the listener with a shot of adrenaline to keep the audience listening for more.
“A Billion Bees” is a somber ballad loaded with depression, anger, and reconciliation rolled into one song. “Like Cursing Kids” serves as the second upbeat track to reel the listener back in from the slow moving pace of the preceding tracks. For those who wish to hear more of Devine’s rock influences, this song is sure to become a favorite. Kevin Devine’s lyrics grew a little darker and more personal following some trying times in his life, but that does not mean his abstract political observations are completely forgotten as made evident on “The Burning City Smoking”. “Me & My Friends” is a slow moving rocker that features lyrics about being with friends and drinking beers in bars. The lyrics do a good job of transporting the listener into the inner workings of Devine’s thoughts.
Kevin Devine is a talented artist who continues to grow as both a songwriter and lyricist. The only qualm with Put Your Ghost To Rest is that the shift to a mellower folk style will cause some listener’s to lose interest because some of the slower tracks do drag at times. The music on the album is good, but what stands out the most to me are Devine’s vivid lyrics. It would be a stretch to put Devine among the best in the scene, but he continues to better himself with each release. While Devine might never reach superstar status and pull in large sales for Capitol, the label still made a good choice picking up Devine who will at least deliver a solid, enjoyable album with every release. While I enjoy Put Your Ghost To Rest quite a bit, I still wish there was more rowdy moments present on the album, similar to the group vocal performance on his song "No One Else's Problem" from Split The Country, Split The Streets (come on I can't be the only one who thought that part was badass). This is a solid release from Devine that will be sure to please his current fans and gather him a few new ones along the way. |
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Displaying posts 1 - 10 of 10. |
10:57 AM on 12/10/06 | nice job...probably go into more detail about some of the other tracks, but it was a nice read. I've only been introduced to this album, and i like it alot. If what you say of past releases is true though, i might need to check them out. | | |
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03:56 PM on 12/10/06 | I think it's a solid review of a great album. | | |
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06:15 PM on 12/10/06 | Thanks for the comments guys, they are greatly appreciated. To jusscali, I do recommend his other releases I think they are a little more enjoyable then this one. | | |
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10:11 PM on 12/10/06 | good review except you didnt rate it high enough. i think the lyrics are better than you gave them. | | |
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10:25 PM on 12/10/06 | Originally Posted by ResideInMyMind good review except you didnt rate it high enough. i think the lyrics are better than you gave them. |
Thanks for the feedback. I wanted to rate it higher but I honestly felt it wasen't as strong as his previous material, at least in my opinion. The lyrics are very good, but I believe there are better out there so I didn't want to go too overboard. | | |
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12:37 PM on 12/11/06 | nice review. i love this guy! | | |
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11:44 AM on 12/20/06 | I can't believe you didn't mention the song "You'll Only End Up Joining Them," specifically the part in the song that goes "I know my brother he went one way..." cause it really struck a chord with me. Still, great review, great album. | | |
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06:49 PM on 12/23/06 | I completely agree with this interview. I especially agree that there should be a few more upbeat moments like sections of Split the Country. | | |
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11:06 PM on 12/23/06 | Even though I don't like it as much as "Split The Country, Split The Street" or even "Make The Clocks Move", I think it's a really really strong record. It's growing on me even more every time I listen to it which is a good sign I suppose.
The Miracle Of '86 was such a fucking great band. | | |
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