[.ca] Lonely People of the World, Unite!

Where's the 4-and-a-half stars? A _SOLID_ debut.:
Rarely will I applaud an album that has vocals that are hoarsely shouted instead of sung, voice wavering in the keys. But you know the type of album that happens when someone's adequately studied their record collection and knows what _works_ in rock'n'roll? This is for the Sloan, Flashing Lights and New Pornographers fans out there: this guy can _rock_. He also knows his way around the studio, picking up most any instrument he can find. The arrangements are just the right amount of sloppy (think "Sticky Fingers"), the music often wants to make you hit the accelerator pedal while cruising. The occasional wit is strong enough to appreciate while tasteful enough not to wince. "Iron Woman" and "When I Turn Ninety-Nine" are a 1-2 startoff punch that starts off by showing a balls-rock thing or two to the punk-popsters and the stone-rockers, quickly following with a distorted T-Rex-type boogie that doesn't hesitate to include a bridge that sounds like a pensive beat group on prellies (say, early early Who) after imbibing the influence of the Zombies. What follows afterwards is a kaleidoscope of styles and influences, often one-upping those who are best known for pulling these aces from their sleeves. IMO, the album only falters when the blues-romp piano intro of "Paratroopers with Amnesia" begins, but by that time seven excellent tracks have already played. Not to say the album stops at the eighth track: "Giant Spiders" brings "Who's Next"-era Who into the 21st century Top-40 (complete with _that_ synthesizer), "The Invisible Choir" is one last stab at intelligencia, and "Distorted Eyeland" surprisingly comes across as John Mayer flashbacking to 1967's Summer of Love albums. Words can't do it justice, go listen to the sample MP3s at www.devindaviswebsite.com a few times and then buy the album. These ones don't show up everyday.

• Iron Woman
• When I Turn Ninety-Nine
• Turtle and the Flightless Bird
• Moon Over Shark City
• Cannons at the Courthouse
• Transcendental Sports Anthem
• Sandie
• Paratrooper With Amnesia
• Giant Spiders
• Choir Invisible
• Deserted Eyeland