Kevin Devine Band • Page 8

I feel like a lot of his records, including this one, are frequently and criminally overlooked. A lot of his best story telling moments are on this album.

 

To me, it's clearly his strongest album from start to finish. It genuinely surprises me sometimes that it isn't really unanimously considered as such.

 

I certainly think it's more consistent then, say, Brother's Blood (which I love to bits) so I understand your surprise. I was about to argue that maybe Brother's Blood has such ridiculous high highs, but Split the Country has Cotton Crush, No Time Flat, and Lord, I Know We Don't Talk so that's just not a good line of reasoning. I'm not sure what it is about this one that keeps it from being mentioned. That being said, I don't think it's head and shoulders stronger than Make the Clocks Move or Between the Concrete and Clouds or Put Your Ghost to Rest or whatever. I just think it is underrated and should be seen on the same level of love as the others. Even if people don't like Between the Concrete and Clouds as much, it sure gets talked about plenty.

 

I've only been a big fan of Bubblegum and Brother's Blood. I tried getting into Split the Country but the second half never caught on until tonight. I'm gonna be playing this record a lot for the next few weeks.

 

I could name most of the songs on STCSTS as standouts haha. But yeah, I get what you mean. Maybe the reason I see it as being head and shoulders his best work is because it's the album I've forged the strongest emotional connection with.

 

Emotional connection goes a long way. I feel that way about Clocks. I think all the songs on Split the Country are all good songs, but I think that album suffers from not having the best sequencing in terms of what would grab a first time listener. It builds momentum and then it just sort of stops for a slow burn, which is not super accessible on a first listen imo

 

The sequencing definitely kept it from being immediate for me, for sure. Once it clicked though, that kinda stopped mattering to me. I don't think any of his albums have particularly great sequencing though, honestly.

 

Sure, maybe none are great (I think I disagree here, though) but the sequencing problems go front and center on an album like Split the Country, that floats around between Kevin's stylistic divide vs an album like BTC&C, or Clocks, or PYGTR where he is mainly sticking to one style. And one thing that can be said, he's gotten better at it as time has gone on -- Split the Country and Brother's Blood just fell victim to it harder because of the polarization of styles. Brother's Blood has this problem way more though, since it's mostly divided into bangers A side and folky B Side instead of a fairly even mix like Split
I do think all of Kevin's albums have that potential to click, sequencing or stylistic divides aside because they're all so well written and the songs are just so human and universal

 

I was always a fan of Kevin but it wasn't until I saw him live for the first time that I came to really love him. Excited for this new album and tour.

 

i only like bubblegum, i like the rock side

also kevin always goes on great tours (the now now/IIOI one, this one) and i always have to miss them for some reason. only ever seen part of his set live at a festival

 

Ugh!!!! You're the worst!!!

 

never got into the folksier stuff, heh

 

But there's a good bit of non-folksy stuff on his other albums?

Idk you do you, and I used to be the same way, but over the years I guess I've gotten to be a bigger fan of his softer side. I think his lyrics usually hit harder in that mode.

 

Separating Kevin into the rock and folk side seems like a mistake imo. Both sides compliment each other very well. On an album that has both, one makes you appreciate the other. His musicianship is never lacking, but the way each side of his musicianship makes you feel is different. His folkier stuff tends to a quiet introspection that I would call infectious, stuff that makes you consider your own life in a similar vein, and the rock stuff tends to be in a similar vein in how it hits lyrically, but it's much more immediate sonically so the effect of that introspection comes later, after the music has ended. He's got a pretty interesting dichotomy going.

 

You mean this song?

 

And here it is acoustic, too

 

I remember hearing this song at his Philly show in December and being a huge fan

 

This is like a sequel song to Ballgame in my eyes. I dig it a lot

 

Agree. I really enjoy the first four lines of the lyrics. Great way to set the scene for the rest of the song.

 

It's really just the fact that 3 slow songs go right together in Haircut, Probably, and Alabama Acres. Honestly the album would have been less of a drag immediately if he were to pick between Haircut and Probably... they're both slow build waltzes and it's kinda redundant to have both on the album next to each other. Then you'd have Buried by the Buzz going into only one slow waltz, followed a beautiful fingerstyle folk song, then right back into another jam Yr Damned Old Dad.

Really the only problem with the album to me though. The flow from songs 1-6 and 10-12 is great imo

 

Agree with this. Also, I like Probably, but imo Haircut is much better.

 

Agree with both of you. Would not leave either on the cutting room floor now though, hah. I've grown attached. But yeah that's the main problem that might deter a first time listen.

 

man, this song is something else.

 

I think that might be the best Kevin song to come out of the split series that isn't a cover. Really well done story telling there, just letting the grief sit under the words til he let's them come out explicitly in the hollowness of his feelings afterwards. Beautiful song, there was a review about it I read that dismissed it as his standard fare which broke my heart tbh

 

Am I the only one who didn't really care for the split series? I mean, we got that song out of it, which I agree is one of his best songs, but I was never compelled to listen to the other stuff very much. I still subscribed and have every 7", because I love the guy and will support anything he does!