WL//WH Review Devotions
Luke Zahnleiter, Kate Mockunzie/ Devotions
That mysterious Αustralia with the vast music scene for decades now offering another paradigm of their ‘intentions’ and musical talent and taste; Introducing the amazingly exquisite debut album “Pusher” by dreampop duo Devotions via Somewherecold Records with 9 songs of peerless alternative music for great explorations. This album is a must-listen if you are seeking to find some of the most delicate musings on the deepest plain of the melodious dreampop art.
Songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Luke Zahnleiter (former guitarist of Glitter Veils and The Rational Academy) was joined by Kate Mockunzie on vocals to create a romance between nostalgic pop and a narcotic-like ambiance. That kind of ambiance we occasionally meet in the Australian independent movies with many hints from the Lynchian world too. Devotions’ hit is how they blend their music style with misty dreamlike ‘treks’ into the unknown parts of one familiar to them sonic field, along with alternative explorations of the norms of the dreampop like filming their own music; they are skilled and they are strange under the skin too.
“Pusher” LP runs easily like water with dangers, with pleasant mysteries that contain the always strange chyme of the Australian fruit. I adore how they do it and I am amazed at the result by all means. Experimentation according to this album is not like you are creating abstract shoegaze wonderments but these miracles how can be placed in a song like flashes or passing necessities that really sound like integral parts of musical creation.
Through the whole album, you will listen to the catchy and glorious sounding of the guitar knitting the scorpions with snakes but with a quite personalized and trademark style by Luke Zahnleiter who is a fine storyteller on the guitar. Kate Mockunzie on the other hand is not just the vocalist of the band. An original dreampop/ slowcore chanteuse that offers great character to the music; She is the narrator, she is the beauty and the dangers, the unforeseen element and the unveiler of the band. She has a difficult job to do and she is doing it in the perfect way; do you think singing dreampop is easy? She won us here in WL//WH as she is superb.
I must give you some focus tracks from the album now; that’s not easy but I’ll try…“Excess”, “Vanity Pool”, “Final Girl”, “Fluorescent”, and the sensational “Nil By Mouth”. Give’em what they need, show them some love, and listen to their “Pusher” debut album Loud, there you go!!!
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Written by Loud Cities’ Mike
