Archives: October 2013
Dave Hause – Devour
Photo by Katie Hovland
Rise Records – Release Date: 10/08/13
On his second solo album, Devour, Dave Hause forgoes the acoustic influences that dominated his first record in favor of plugged-in, rock-oriented arrangements. This is understandable, as many of these songs were intended for a new Loved Ones album that never materialized. When his previous band stalled, Hause thankfully soldiered on, delivering some of the finest songwriting of his career. At its heart, Devour is a complete album, comprised of songs that work together to tell an overall story. One theme is that of a disintegrated relationship, and the struggle to move forward in a positive direction. That narrative is contrasted with America’s continued decline and the disappearance of its middle class. Also discussed are childhood dreams that go unfulfilled and the challenge of dealing with those realizations as an adult. The songs on Devour definitely follow a linear path, and by the close of the record Hause manages to uncover a light at the end of the tunnel. The final three tracks embrace an optimistic tone and address topics like resiliency, hope and renewal. Musicians from Social Distortion and My Morning Jacket lent a hand in the studio to help shape these songs, and Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba made a guest appearance as well. The end result is a collection of rock songs with accents of folk and punk that match the lyrics in terms of quality. Devour is sure to appeal to a broad audience and a likely candidate for one of the best albums of 2013. Check out the record as soon as possible and take a listen to the song “We Could Be Kings” below.
[audio:http://www.jadedinchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/03-We-Could-Be-Kings.mp3|titles=”We Could Be Kings”]
Sundowner
Photo by Katie Hovland
For Sundowner’s new album, Neon Fiction, Lawrence Arms singer/guitarist Chris McCaughan opted to take his side project in more of a full band direction. Longtime collaborator and fellow member of The Lawrence Arms, Neil Hennessy, is once again onboard and this time his bass and percussion duties play a more prominent role. The outcome is a layered record with creative lyrics that focus on storytelling. McCaughan’s words are augmented by the detailed arrangements, resulting in what is undoubtedly the most complete Sundowner album to date. We spoke with McCaughan before the recent Sundowner show at Beat Kitchen. We discussed how the new record was written, its style and what recording was like. We also talked about the meaning of some of the songs, touring and more. Also, be sure to check out the lyric video for “Life in the Embers” after the interview. Continue Reading…
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