Search - Devon :: Long Sleeve Story

Substance over Style

Go Steelers! | Houston, TX | 12/22/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For 3 days now I've been searching for comparisons to other female artists -- and in the end I can't find any. With this CD, Devon truly sets herself apart from other artists by having deep, meaningful lyrics expressed with a conversational style not often seen in today's artists. Her first album was excellent for sure, and this one truly establishes Devon as a premiere, up and coming musician.Firstly, I have to say that her strongest point is not really her vocals -- I personally love her voice, but don't expect to find the flowing tranquility of Sarah McLaughlin or Dido. Devon puts a lot of feeling and effort into each word, taking hold of emotions and exhibiting them with amazing potency in a substance over style approach.Critics have often emphasized Devon's maturity in songwriting -- this truly shines through in this album, even more so than her first. From 1 to 12, each song exhibits a deep personal feeling and knowledge of her subject. And she's not afraid to tell you what she thinks by any means -- there is no sugar-coating of emotion, no glossing over anything. Devon uses a brute-force style of expressing exactly what she wants to, again forgoing style in sake of substance.Furthermore, there is a uniqueness in musical style as well. This album fuses Rock, Blues, Jazz and Folk together, using elements of each in each song.The CD caps off with a truly excellent song in "Birdfeeder", which to this point in her short career is what I feel to be a 'signature' piece -- it combines every element of her unique style into a beautiful song of introspection. Finally, there is a thirteenth track on this CD which is an instrumental ending that really brings this CD to a good close. Stefan Lessard (DMB Bass) did an excellent job producing this record, and from top to bottom, there is excellent material accross the board. The instrumentals are extremely well done as well, giving the perfect blend of sound to accent Devon's lyrics.If you are a fan of the current musical climate of flash and trash, this isn't the CD for you. But if you want to hear a great CD with heartfelt emotion and masterful artistry, buy this -- you won't regret it."