AWmusic

A band that previously had a song played in a trailer for one of my favourite movies and once shot down a McDonalds’ commercial song request, how could I not write about their last album?! So here’s A Mad & Faithful Telling by Devotchka.

First off, that favourite movie was 2005’s Everything Is Illuminated, their song from their 2004 album of the same title; How It Ends, rang beautifully and haunting during the film trailer… (Devotchka also composed and performed much of the soundtrack used throughout the 2006 film Little Miss Sunshine.)

Secondly, McDonalds; the, “we know it’s horrible for us, yet maybe once every couple months after drinking it really does hit the spot” fast food nonsense requested to use one of their songs for a commercial. They tried to use the 2004 song; Dearly Departed, a musical gem that could easily make the viewer forget about how shitty the McRib is for consuming/health purposes. I love when bands say no to advertisements, although this band later gave in to a video game commercial, still hurts a bit, but not as horribly as digesting a McRib…

Devotchka has a very impressive and intelligent sound. They create visionary expertise with a vast and lovely array of instruments; guitar, accordion, violin, piano, theremin, trumpet, double bass, organ, bouzouki, to name a “few”. You could bust up this band into smaller equal parts and they’d still sound grand, there’s more than enough musical skillfulness to go around the four members; Nick Urata, Jeanie Schroder, Shawn King, and Thomas Hagerman.
With a great worldly inspired sense of musical sophistication, they may as well come from a tiny village in the foothills of the Ural or Tatra mountains, or even some sun drenched, dusty old cantina. Their sound comes from everywhere it seems, but if you really want to know, they are based in Colorado.

Nick Urata on lead vocals, has a wonderfully rich and gently haunting voice that I think a lot of male “singers” would die for, especially me. (I can barely pull off Clash songs, and I have to let my stage maneuvers make my Whip It by Devo seem entertaining during karaoke)

Nick’s lyrics have this sense of insightful mourning and thoughtful optimism that I can’t shake out of my head after listening to the album.
I was a bit apprehensive about buying this album because I thought it wouldn’t be as magical as How It Ends was for me, but A Mad & Faithful Telling is definitely up to par and equally enjoyable to listen straight through.

I hope to one day use Devotchka as my primary soundtrack while driving through a windy desert road down in the southwest of the U.S. or a rainy mountainside in Eastern Europe. In any such case, Devotchka will always be able inspire, comfort, and console.

Devotchka – Transliterator
Devotchka – New World