Kevin Devine, Between the Concrete and Clouds

By Kai Shuart

Kevin Devine‘s first album on the Razor & Tie label, Between the Concrete and Clouds, is a good album to toast the waning days of summer. It’s full of reverbed electric guitars and jaunty melodies that seem very at home when played in the background of a barbecue, yet with enough melancholy to let listeners know that the bite of autumn air isn’t far off.

Songs such as “Wait Out the Wreck” use a bouncy melody to bolster the protagonist’s assertion that he “doesn’t want to live like I’m dead anymore.” However, the closer, “I Used to Be Someone” presents a different view: It seems to be told from the point of an outsider who used to be an insider. He’s described as being down-at-heel and awkward due to circumstances ( “two left feet and gloves full up with thumbs” is a particularly effective lyric to convey this), but tries to convince an imaginary conversation partner to have no fear; he is valuable because he remembers what it is like to have a sense of belonging and knows what it’s like to come from somewhere. This is also conveyed in the refrain that he was “a brother’s brother and a mother’s son”.

This contrast between the dark lyrics and the bouncy melody could lead many to misconstrue the intent of the song. For example, how many times have we heard “Every Breath You Take,” one of the darkest, most obsessive songs ever penned, played at a wedding? Or “Born in the U.S.A.” a scathing indictment of the US’s treatment of returning Vietnam vets, used for a big, jingoistic rave-up?

I think that Mr. Devine has succeeded in making his intent loud and clear, and made a fine album to boot.

Between the Concrete and Clouds was released on September 13 by Razor & Tie and is available on iTunes and Amazon. You can also order the album here.

Tour Dates:
Sept 13: Denver, CO – Marquis Theater *
Sept 14: Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court *
Sept 16: Seattle, WA – El Corazon Lounge *
Sept 17: Portland, OR – Bunk Bar *
Sept 19: San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill *
Sept 20: Upland, CA – The Wire *
Oct 6: Los Angeles, CA – The Troubadour **
Oct 7: San Diego, CA – House of Blues **
Oct 8: Phoenix, AZ – Hard Rock Cafe **
Oct 10: Austin, TX – Emo’s
Oct 11: Dallas, TX – Dada
Oct 12: Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s **
Oct 13: Pensacola, FL – Deluna Fest 2011
Oct 14: Atlanta, GA – Vinyl **
Oct 16: Orlando, FL – Will’s Pub **
Oct 18: Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle **
Oct 19: Washington, DC – Red Palace **
Oct 20: Boston, MA – Royale **
Oct 21: Philadelphia, PA – North Star Bar **
Oct 22: New York, NY – Highline Ballroom **
Oct 23: New Haven, CT – Toad’s Place **
Oct 25: Montreal, QC – Petit Campus
Oct 26: Ottawa, ON – Mavericks
Oct 27: Toronto, ON – The Drake Hotel

*Kevin Devine with The Features
**Kevin Devine with An Horses