The Devastations - The Devastations (2003)

My introduction to The Devastations came late last year, when I was lucky enough to see them play the support slot for The Drones' show in L.A.. As I arrived at the venue quite late in the evening, I missed the first few songs of their set, though I certainly heard enough to convince me that The Devastations had a great sound and were a band that demanded my further attention. After my initial listen to this album, I was convinced that my earlier conviction had been accurate.
The Devastations play music that can be tender and somber one moment, raucous and nettled the next. The album opens with the slow, plaintive instrumental track, He Wasn't Like That When I Knew Him, which features piano, a quietly plucked banjo, violin, and drums. The pace soon picks up on the rambling, break-up themed track, Loelene, which, among other things, features the sultry, French sung vocals of Emilie Martin.
While the album as a whole is excellent, there are two stand-out tracks that stay with me each time I listen to the album, long after the last song has played. The first, is the sublimely brilliant, Previous Crimes. With lines such as "I do not believe in forgiveness/Or setting suns/I cannot conceive your setting sun", this is perhaps the most tender moment of the album. It is a track that would not be out of place among Nick Cave or Leonard Cohen's song catalogues, two people with whom The Devastations share a similar musical aesthetic.
The second track that has chosen to imbed itself deep within my psyche, is the beautifully restrained, We Will Never Drink Again. Here, we find the songs' protagonist sorting through the broken pieces and unanswered questions of a failed relationship. Rarely has someone else's heartbreak sounded so delicate and, oddly, comforting.
The Devastations play the type of music that is perfect for dark, wintry days; perfect for days when your in the mood for a glass (bottle) of red wine and some healthy introspection; perfect for days when you are happy being sad.

Check Out: http://www.devastations.net/music