Pure Noise – 01 Apr 2022
Devon Kay and the Solutions manage to put together an incredibly catchy album that’s hard to listen to.
While Devon Kay is technically considered a backing vocalist in Direct Hit!, whenever you hear his voice in the mix you can expect the lyrics to be simply dripping with dark humor and irony. So it’s hardly surprising that Kay’s solo project is full of much of the same. As the name suggests, Grieving Expectation is 11 tracks of some of the most nihilistic pop music you’ll ever hear. And the darker the lyrics get, the cheerier the music gets.
“The Optimist” is probably the most ironic song title I’ve ever heard, as the song is anything but optimistic. Instead, the lyrics ruminate on death and the futility of life. Enter the horn section for “The Space In-Between,” which is the bleakest excuse for a love song I’ve ever heard, other than “Until the Wheels Fall Off” a few tracks later. “S.A.F.E.T.Y.” is one of the catchiest songs on the album with its staccato phrasing. “No One is Thinking About You (Or Anyone Else For That Matter)” dives into the futility and meaninglessness of existence. “A Little Bit” really rides the horn section and synthesizers to bring out the joy in the music while closing out with, not the darkest song on the album, but certainly not a feel-good anthem.
As great as this album is, the sadness in the lyrics is so prevalent that it makes the record a bit uncomfortable to listen to. That’s not a fault in the album, but more a sign that Kay did too good of a job of what he was trying to achieve. Just like you can appreciate a movie about the Holocaust without ever wanting to rewatch it, this album is excellent but doesn’t really lend itself to repeat listens. Still, you should give this record at least one spin. You might just want a stiff drink to accompany it.
Julie is punk rock, lesbian time lady from the future. The greatest things in the world are punk rock and science fiction. Check out her website JulieRiver.com!
