Brother's Blood

Jesus Christ, how many reviews am I going to write this week!? A lot, so shut it. Only two more after this. (For now)

SO. That brings me to this: Kevin Devine. We all know KD. Right? Right. Well, his new record just leaked the other day and I've spent some time milling it over.

So we all know and love Kevin Devine for being the Brooklyn singer-songwriter that he is as he half rides the coat tails of his good friends in Brand New every time Jesse Lacey goes on a solo acoustic tour (I recommend that tour. It's awesome. Jesse and Kevin did a Beatles cover when I saw them back home in Pittsburgh). So here's what we got: 11 tracks of a great 5th record (Sans the two or 3 7"'s).

The record starts off (At least on my version, I don't know if this is the official track listing, so don't hold it against me if I'm wrong.) with a GREAT start. 'All Of Everything, Erased' is a great all acoustic entry to the record, that reminds me a lot of the start to Put Your Ghost To Rest (A personal favorite of mine). Then KD hits us with 'Carnival'. A 6 and a half minute opus with aweomse synth pads and spot on production. It starts out with this awesome synth pad and then the guitar comes in with a swell. Not to mention the awesome reverse snare drums tha kick in around half way through the song and the epic repeated vocals with Kevin screaming in the last two minutes or so. Kevin's vocals are as always good, really complimenting the music he writes very well. Then we get the single he released on a 7" with 'Love Me I'm A Liberal' (If you preordered it like I did... I'm sorry. I had to wait forever for my blue one', 'Time To Burn (Another Bag Of Bones)'. I think I'm the only person who doesn't love 'Another Bag Of Bones' more then his own life. I mean, it's a good song, I just don't like it that much. I didn't realize it was a crime. I'm usually not a big fan of protest like songs, and, well, it's a very vivid image of someone who really hates what's going on now. I certainly love the similies that he uses as a song writer.... but I'm also not into protest songs.

We pick up suddenly with 'Hand Of God (When You Breathe.... Breathe)'. It's a bit of a weird transition, it starts off with harmonized 'Oohs'. A little weird after a very minor, dark sounding 'Another Bag...'. But 'Hand Of God' is exactly the kind of Kevin Devine I love. Toe taping singer songwriter. It definitely comes across to me as a protest-type song (another one) but I'm willing to put that aside. And it has tambourine. Tambourine rules. Then.... We have the first low point on the record, the title track, 'Brother's Blood'. Don't get me wrong, the song is good. Just not 8 minutes good. It's always been my philosophy that if you're recording a song more then 5 minutes in length... You need to change it up. There's no change up, so I get bored and just fast forward. The intro is also over a minute long. That's a little overkill, KD. Then the noisy angry last half of the song also throws me off too. We pick up a little bit with 'Fever Moon', a slower, more soulful song, it almost reminds me of latin music for a few seconds when the track begins. Maybe it's the horns that are real quiet in the back, behind the nylon classical guitar and finger snaps. 'It's Only Your Life' is probably my second favorite track on the record. The track could be on Put Your Ghost To Rest easily, actually. It's one of those melody KD songs that is him just speaking to you, and it really hits home. It's what he does best, I think. We round out the record with 'Murphy's Song', 'I Could Be With Anyone' (From the EP he released right after the 'Another Bag Of Bones' 7". This song is actually pretty cool, with it's sampled drums that give away to a pretty up tempo rock track), 'Yr Husband' (Just okay, really), and finally 'Tomorrow's Just Too Late'. 'Tomorrow's...' actually my favorite track on the record. It's another one of those songs KD just does well. It's him, his guitar, and a second vocal track singing in that signature soft voice about a scorned and jaded woman (I think, at least.) who wants out. He's telling her to move on and get out and be who you want to be. I could listen to this track for an hour on repeat and I think I wouldn't dislike it at all. It's just one of those songs.

Overall, this is a great record. It isn't as great as the last, but, still, pretty good. I enjoyed it and it was worth the wait, I think.