Search - Devics :: My Beautiful Sinking Ship

Breaks my heart every time

C. Clemens | a big pile of dirt, CA | 04/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"do you want your heart broken, too? this is the album to do it with. Devics third album (you can get the first 2, plus the great "ghost in the girl" EP, on their website, devics.com) takes melancholia to beautiful new depths. Dustin's music is grand, a vaguely cabaret kind of sound, vintage and smoky. Sara's voice is better than ever, very distinct - she ranges from soft growls to high and sweet. the beautiful standing bass (way to go, Evan) adds the perfect foundation, and i really like the use of strings here, too. it's a beautiful, beautiful album - all minor keys and hush-hush sadness. the talent is obvious. you should see them live if you ever get the chance - everyone i've ever dragged to a show has been won over to them.as for the reviewer who mocks the theme of the album - i wasn't bothered by it at all, in fact i wouldn't really have noticed. the nautical/navigational theme never feels laboured or heavy, in fact each song is emotionally independent of the others. and what's so bad about a theme? i don't think you can really compare Devics to any of those old 4AD bands either, even though they are now on Bella Union. the sound is nothing like Dead Can Dance or Clan of Xymox. sorry, just had to politely disagree."

Goes great with....

E. F. Paredes | California USA | 09/29/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hmm. Cafe music? No. Girl goth? Uhh, nah. Nouveau Victorian California Shoegazer...with a jazzy underbelly? I don't know!!Bottom line: this is some pretty GOOD music. Can't really pin it down into a category because to do so would detract from the simple pleasure of digesting it. The Devics are in that minority of musical innovators who "express" music rather than merely playing it. As an ensemble they're complete. Each instrument feeds off of the other's groove/power/energy which in turn feeds off of Sara's versatile vocals. A great match.By the way, I love that subtle sea shanty feel that pops up cleverly throughout this cd! But then again, I've been entranced with Nick Cave's circus goth masterpiece, The Carny. So I'm game."

Welcome to the Lounge of the Lost

J. Manning | Salt Lake City, UT USA | 01/22/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Unique, whimsical, sometimes ethereal, often dark humored, always moody. This is a very talented, highly professional band dedicated to playing vintage musical styles, but only in minor keys. Their previous releases featured a guitar sound often inspired by surf and flamenco, with layers of tremolo. "Sinking Ship" is a much more piano-driven recording. A literal one-man-band, Dustin O'Halloran apparently fell in love with an upright piano before this album, and the result is several creepy little songs which wouldn't be out of place in a smokey 19th century lounge. Even in songs in which piano isn't featured, it's often tucked in under other instruments, such as the Moonlight Sonata-like melody that emerges from under the bombastic "My Beautiful Sinking Ship" single, recognizeable only at its pauses. Sara Lov does not have the most powerful lungs you're ever going to hear, but she's very versatile and alters her style to whatever suits the song, ranging from an ethereal Julee Cruise to a husky Courtney Love and somewhere in the middle like Gwen Stefani. Giving the album that extra edge of authenticity is Ed Maxwell's upright bass, which he'll sometimes play with a bow when a cello-like sound is required. An accordian and jazz-style guitars also make an appearance in the soundscape. That's the other thing about this band. When they insert an uncommon instrument into a song, it blends in seemlessly rather than leaping out an shouting, "this is alternative!" All their sets are tight. Nobody plays a single extra note that doesn't mesh with everything else.This is a special little band. They're worth your time."