Kevin Devine

Review by Ray Harkins:

So remember when Dashboard Confessional came into all of our collective views and basically stole the attention from every 15-18 year old that came in contact with him? Remember all of the countless clones that sprung up because of the groundswell of solo artists? Even though most of those guys picking up guitars and singing about the most terrible of situations have passed quietly into the night, some artists were actually doing this before the Dashboard swell hit.

Kevin Devine sang for the much underappreciated The Miracle of 86 who released a few records on Immigrant Sun and shortly thereafter began playing as himself. It seemed that nothing was really happening with him until recently. Capitol Records has now signed Kevin and I would imagine are pitching him as the new Elliott Smith. Time will tell whether or not this is a good move for him but regardless, this is his precursor to his Capitol debut.

Split the Country... doesn't diverge too much from his previous work with the exception of more pop oriented jangles like the first song "Cotton Crush" (which also features Jesse from Brand New doing some background screaming). While this may not appeal to young 14 year old girls, Kevin Devine has poised himself at giving this whole, non-Dashboard solo project a real run for its money.

Kevin Devine is the Brooklyn singer who is flying in the face of fashion. He
has created quite a reputation with his live shows. Now this is his third
album. He has evolved musically over the years. Some of his early stuff was quiet
and intimate. He seems like he is working in a genre that Bright Eyes is more
popular for. Kevin Devine does have his own unique taste to music. He brings a
lot of disparate musical ideas and sounds together for the first time. Devine
mixes politics and his personal observations in the songs. The title of the
album may seem overtly political, but never is his craft of songwriting ever
lost. Kevin Devine is someone to be on the lookout for.

This is Kevin's strongest collection of songs to date - songs that overflow with beauty, despair, hope, humility, and unflinching honesty - an eclectic mix of songs ranging from folk and country-tinged ballads, to indie rock gems - abundant with first-rate tracks that vary in style, tempo, mood, and story. It is a brilliant album from start to finish, from the curious opening bars of "Cotton Crush", which tick-tocks with anticipation like a time bomb before the song explodes into a full wall of sound that will level you. It changes over quickly to the jaunty, hands-in-your-pockets shuffles of "Afterparty". "No Time Flat" is a biting personal and political statement brimming with cynicism and truth. The true jewel of this album, though, is the heartbreakingly beautiful "Alabama Acres" and features some of the best solo acoustic guitar lines you will likely come across. There are truly near-perfect moments, as in "Keep Ringing Your Bell" which features some of the album's best lyrics, and the addition of his new electric violinist gives new warmth, richness, and body to the song, while you hear Kevin's fingers slide over the acoustic guitar strings with a personal, bare honesty you have to hear to appreciate. This is undoubtedly the album that will put Kevin on the map - consistently brilliant songwriting and performances on every track. My favorite moment is the instrumental that comes on in the beginning and end of the ninth track, but you'll have to buy it to discover it, to feel and experience it for yourself.

If you have seen Kevin live then you have certainly heard some of these songs, and I would wager you wished he would record them. Well, he has. If you like Kevin's second album then you will love this. I believe it is the logical step in his musical career. You will find he plays a decent amount of tracks with a full band which have some "Sunny Day Real Estate (think Diary, not the other albums)," interspersed with his usual sound. All in all, I think it is his best record to date. You would be hard pressed to not buy the album. Besides, why not support a struggling artist who is a real nice guy?

it sounds like he just stopped trying to me. he used to be more subtle and complex, now he's just a mediocre coffeehouse folk troubadour. his voice doesn't even have any character anymore, he more speaks than sings. it's not like he experimented in any new directions, he just gradually lost everything that made him not bland.

while not my favorite kevin record (make the clocks move holds my heart), this is a phenomenal record that shouldn't be passed by. it is a very stong major label debut and it's a shame that it isn't getting the praise & recognition it deserves.

This singer/songwriter drew my attention by being labeled as "Bright Eyes crossed with Dashboard Confessional by way of Elliot Smith." Sadly, while I can see elements of all three artists in Make the Clocks Move, it doesn't have the ElliotSmith + BrightEyes + Dashboard awesomeness for which I hoped. Rather, it's more like ElliotSmith/3 + BrightEyes/3 + Dashboard/5. The slower songs resemble Smith at times, albeit without the rampant minor keys. The faster songs do have a Bright Eyes element, and it's on these (e.g., People Are So Fickle) that Devine sounds his best. As for Dashboard, the only similarity I can find (at least with some Dashboard stuff) is a prominent acoustic guitar.

That being said, Clocks is still a decent album. It doesn't have the distinctive style of the indie rock essentials, or the utter catchiness of the pop sensation, but the quality of the songs and the originality of Devine's voice might be enough for me to eventually pick up the 2006 release, Put Your Ghost to Rest.

-Brandon

I am extremely happy with this CD. Kevin Devine is an AMAZING songwriter.

Got this record when it first came out ( I was already a fan of Miracle of 86). He is, in my opinion, the true voice of a generation. Check out this record if you like Bob Dylan or Elliot Smith.

A very, very good album highlighted but a couple of incredible songs.

I bought this album blind based on a glowing recommendation from someone whose musical taste I have much respect for. I was frankly suprised at how great this album is. This is honestly one of the better albums I have heard in the last few years. That comment carries even more weight considering I am not normally a fan of the emo/indie rock genre.

The songwriting on this album is superb. Kevin combines his poetic take with a grounded view of the world. Anyone who believes this album is boring probably has not sat down and really listened to the intricacies of his descriptive narrative on songs such as "Ballgame", "Splitting up Christmas", and "Longer That I'm Out There".

I have lost faith in listening to popular rock/pop radio stations because they seem not to play quality, well written, well performed tracks but rather they choose to play overproduced and similar sounding tracks. But playing an artist such as Kevin Devine as part of a their regular playlist would surely help restore my faith.

This is an album you should go buy regardless of whether it falls into your normal listening genre.

Ok, I've had a copy of this album since May of 2001, and I haven't stoppedwaiting for a new release by Kevin Devine. It's not the most polished album on the market, but that's part of the point. The vocals are exposed and usually accompanied by nothing but a single acoustic guitar. This one is for fans of early Elliott Smith. The music (i.e., guitar) is more simplistic than Smith's for the most part, but once again, that's not bad...just different. I can see Kevin Devine becoming qutie popular on the indie scene after a couple more releases, and I look forward to watching him progress as an artist. If you're one of those indie rockers who likes to get in on an artist before he/she is big, this is one to watch.