Band : DeVotchKa
Album title : 100 Lovers
Label : Anti - Epitaph
Distributor : Epitaph - PIAS
Release date : 15/02/2011
Release : CD

In the past couple of years, I've been fortunate enough to come across a couple of this American band's albums. This so far resulted in reviews of the re-issue of the 2004 album How it Ends (posted 06/09/2007) and of the band's previous release A Mad & Faithful Telling (posted 14/04/2008), the latter with an history of the band. As an update, I can tell you that AM&FT made it into the American charts, with a #29 position in the Independent Album Charts, and a #9 position in Billboard's Heatseekerscharts.

On 100 Lovers, Devotchka faithfully continues on the musical path it were on before, meaning you get a selection of songs in which Neo-Classical based Pop (cello, violin) gets mixed with a touch of Rock, Mariachi (trumpets added in two songs towards the end of the album), or Balkan sounds (harmonium added to two songs as well)...the whole layered with the delightful topping of Nick Urata's typical vocal whine. Still, this time it seems the Rock element in the mix is rather low, a focus apparently lain on overall more acoustic album. Again recorded in the Arizona desert with producer Craig Schumacher (Calexico, Neko Case), the info sheet mentions guest percussion performed by Mauro Refosco (of Thom Yorke's band Atoms For Peace) and members of Calexico.

As a single, the song “Contrabanda” was chosen, a track featuring the rare trumpet interactions. But there's also made use of saxophone, and the harmonium is also there...as well as the cellos, of course! Perhaps not the most representative song on the album, but definitely one in which they admirably show their ethnic mixing mastery! At this moment (temporarily?) it is also the only song off the album posted at (www.) myspace.com/devotchka (along with songs off the two previous Anti- releases from the band). Too bad they didn't also post the instrumental album closer “Sunshine” with its odd moments where someone in the band uses some kind of limply-strung guitar. Great stuff, and definitely the type of album to bring a ray of sunshine in these cloudy winter days! Devotchka will be playing a selection of gigs in venues across the US throughout March...should be the perfect way to celebrate the coming of Spring! No word on a European tour yet.

95/100

Tony.