Useless Entertainment: #7 Kevin Devine - Put Your Ghost to Rest

Kevin Devine is one of my favorite songwriters out there today. Last year, his album was my #5 favorite album of the year. He’s back at it again with his latest release. His shaky voice just makes the songs seem more sincere than most of what I listen to. This album hit me at the perfect time. The songs just seemed to fit where I am in life. I originally downloaded this album before it had been mastered and I was disappointed in it. I’m not sure if that was because the finishing touches weren’t there or because I just wasn’t in the mood for it. Whatever the reason, I was glad to give it another listen once I had a mastered version. I’m glad I gave it that second chance. Seeing some of the songs played live made them even better. This album seems to capture the strange stage in life that follows college.

Highlights:
Just Stay
Me and My Friends
You’ll Only End Up Joining Them

Favorite Lyrics:
“it's the same corner booth,
the same smith street bar,
the same sour mouths,
and the same empty arms.
forever and ever our lives
on a loop.
it's the same dollar draft,
the same whiskey words,
the same hanging heart,
and the same old scorched earth.
we're further and further
away from the truth.
i wanna stop it.
i wanna stop it.
i wanna stop it.
but it's the only life i know how to live
we make a mess of what matters
give our good grace away
we try to drink the clock backwards
and pretend like nothing’s changed”

“so as i inched towards resolution, yeah, i'm not sure which life feels right. no narrow noose or the wading water will hang in hex or open eyes. i know my brother, he went one way and at the fork i heard him say, "don't you follow. don't go making my mistakes." and i realized what he meant: don't kill yourself to raise the dead. it never works. you'll only end up joining them. it never works. you'll only end up joining them.”

# posted by Steve @ 10:28 PM