How it Ends

Today's Music That Hopefully Didn't Mislead You Into Thinking The Blog Would Stop is How it Ends, from Devotchka. Now, if you're reading this, it's okay to admit that you either A) don't really know what Devotchka sounds like or B) that you were exposed to them via "Little Miss Sunshine". I guess it's possible that you are cool enough to already be sick of Devotchka, but then, you probably would be too cool to read things like this blog as well.

Devotchka does have a fairly distinct sound, one that is less common in the indie soundscape today. Namely, they have a very Mediterranean gypsy flavor, incorporating strings and some horns into their arrangements. They also use an upright bass and tuba for their bass lines, occasionally feature keys, and their singer plays guitar. The Devotchka sound tends to be more dramatic than cool, as the vocals are overly emotional, and the guitar commands attention strongly but during few moments. Apparently, Devotchka was the band for a burlesque show before seeking their own fortunes, which explains a few things.

The songs on How it Ends are grand and epic, without a hint of irony or much self-awareness. They're the type to lose yourself in, to sing along with (or at least mouth the words) and swoon to. While these songs aren't hard rock, they do generally have a fair bit of drive to them; they demand a more involved listener than a fair amount of music. How it Ends might be a little guilty of resting on its laurels; given that Devotchka is something of a young band in terms of songwriting experience, this isn't completely surprising, though hardly terminal. (I'll be curious to get my hands on A Mad and Faithful Telling, their most recent album.) Still, this is a pretty enjoyable album. The music is friendly and likable enough that it's hard not to root for the band, even if they don't make the kind of music you can talk down to people for not knowing about.

There are plenty of songs that stand out here: "You Love Me", "The Enemy Guns", the title track. I still think the band screwed up by not closing the album with the title track or "We're Leaving", but the album still succeeds. It's something of an anachronism, a modern sensibility mixed with an old-fashioned sound. I don't know if this is the album for everyone; maybe it wears its heart on its sleeve a little too much for some, but I'd recommend it to most.

In Other News:
I'm less ill today but still irritated about it. Adventureland tomorrow! Woohoo!