DeVotchKa Add World Spice With "A Mad And Faithful Telling"
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4:37 mins. There's something cool and engaging about the sounds Denver,Colorado's DeVotchKa make by taking such non-Western musical styles as Mariachi, Slavi, Romani, Greek, and Bolero and blending them with punk, rock and folk. I'm not even able to put my finger on exactly what makes them so enjoyable to me. Could it be the catchy pop-song structures? Or is it the English-language lyrics that make the songs more understandable? Perhaps it's the seductive wail of lead singer NickUrata that so compellingly draws you in. I suppose it's all of those,really.
Although I’d heard of DeVotchKa, who formed in 1997, from friends whoraved about their blend of world musics, A Mad and FaithfulTelling is the first of their six albums that I have heard, and Ihave to say it’s a pretty good introduction.In this age of melding international styles into one's music, manyartists have attempted to bridge the gap between the sound of theWestern mainstream and a faithful take on an ethnic cultural sound. LosLobos, David Byrne, Paul Simon, Ozomatli are a few of them, and thereare plenty of electronic artists including Thievery Corporation and evenBasement Jaxx who weave world music into their recordings.DeVotchKa are perhaps the latest to break through to a larger audience,particularly due to the success of the film Little Miss Sunshine,for which they composed and recorded the soundtrack.
Their new album is a pleasant enough listen. "Basso Profundo" is a fun,upbeat number that would cause any reasonable person to at least taptheir toes, if not fully get up and dance, with its gypsy oompah tubaand wild-eyed brass. "Along the Way" is a beautifully-soaring,mariachi-inflected mid-tempo ballad."The Clockwise Witness" is a standout. The toy piano, bouncing stringsand bass lend themselves to the melancholy of the song. "How long willthis take? How long must I wait? My heart is sinking; what were wethinking? I can't fake it anymore, " sings Nick Urata. His anguish isobvious in this glorious song of love gone awry."Transliterator" is another standout (and the first single released fromthe album) with its simple electric piano and plucked violinintroduction. For those not in the know, a transliterator is a piece ofcomputer software that translates your chosen words into anotherlanguage. The song bespeaks the confusion that occurs between lovers ofdifferent nationalities and the frustration that is born from suchentanglements."Transliterator" performed live at SXSW this year:"Undone" is a lovely song infused with flamenco guitar, strings, tribaldrumming and passionate accordion. Mr. Arata sings of a loved one leftbehind, whom "he left so carelessly undone." The album closer, "A NewWorld," sounds like a song the Smiths could have released with itscaressing acoustic-guitar-strumming and vocalizations.My only real problem with A Mad and Faithful Telling are the twoinstrumentals they have included. Both sound great, but they seem likefiller, out of place amongst the others which feature vocals. Still,DeVotchKa have delivered a strong album, worth your listening time.http://devotchka.net/http://www.myspace.com/devotchkamusic
Although I’d heard of DeVotchKa, who formed in 1997, from friends whoraved about their blend of world musics, A Mad and FaithfulTelling is the first of their six albums that I have heard, and Ihave to say it’s a pretty good introduction.In this age of melding international styles into one's music, manyartists have attempted to bridge the gap between the sound of theWestern mainstream and a faithful take on an ethnic cultural sound. LosLobos, David Byrne, Paul Simon, Ozomatli are a few of them, and thereare plenty of electronic artists including Thievery Corporation and evenBasement Jaxx who weave world music into their recordings.DeVotchKa are perhaps the latest to break through to a larger audience,particularly due to the success of the film Little Miss Sunshine,for which they composed and recorded the soundtrack.Their new album is a pleasant enough listen. "Basso Profundo" is a fun,upbeat number that would cause any reasonable person to at least taptheir toes, if not fully get up and dance, with its gypsy oompah tubaand wild-eyed brass. "Along the Way" is a beautifully-soaring,mariachi-inflected mid-tempo ballad."The Clockwise Witness" is a standout. The toy piano, bouncing stringsand bass lend themselves to the melancholy of the song. "How long willthis take? How long must I wait? My heart is sinking; what were wethinking? I can't fake it anymore, " sings Nick Urata. His anguish isobvious in this glorious song of love gone awry."Transliterator" is another standout (and the first single released fromthe album) with its simple electric piano and plucked violinintroduction. For those not in the know, a transliterator is a piece ofcomputer software that translates your chosen words into anotherlanguage. The song bespeaks the confusion that occurs between lovers ofdifferent nationalities and the frustration that is born from suchentanglements."Transliterator" performed live at SXSW this year:"Undone" is a lovely song infused with flamenco guitar, strings, tribaldrumming and passionate accordion. Mr. Arata sings of a loved one leftbehind, whom "he left so carelessly undone." The album closer, "A NewWorld," sounds like a song the Smiths could have released with itscaressing acoustic-guitar-strumming and vocalizations.My only real problem with A Mad and Faithful Telling are the twoinstrumentals they have included. Both sound great, but they seem likefiller, out of place amongst the others which feature vocals. Still,DeVotchKa have delivered a strong album, worth your listening time.http://devotchka.net/http://www.myspace.com/devotchkamusic
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