Put Your Ghost to Rest

Now a mainstay of the indie rock genre, Kevin Devine flew under the radar for much of the 2000s, quietly becoming one of the strongest and most consistent artists of the Brooklyn music scene.After three strong releases -- Circle Gets the Square (2002), Make the Clocks Move (2003), Split the Country, Split the Street (2005) -- Devine signed to Capitol Records, who thought it had discovered the next Elliott Smith, in 2006.The influence of the late singer/songwriter Elliott Smith has always been present in Devine's music, and nowhere is his influence more apparent than in Devine's major label debut Put Your Ghost to Rest (2006) -- his poppiest and, at the time, best release yet.The album opener, "Brooklyn Boy," sets the tone for the album as a peppy opening track complete with a saccharine melody and upbeat acoustic strumming.The next three tracks bleed together a bit, but not in a bad way. Each is solid in its own right, but the songs fail to distinguish themselves from one another."You're Trailing Yourself" begins with a measured drum beat that drives the ditty forward until it's joined by Devine's clean guitar picking for a short, simple pop song."Just Stay" sees the return of Devine on the acoustic guitar, but it isn't long before a synth line backed by an electric guitar picks up the pace and crescendos into the track's refrain.The twinkling electric guitar part for "You'll Only End Up Joining Them" has a bit of a surf rock feel to it with its heavy reverb, but the song ultimately leaves something to be desired.In a melancholy acoustic ballad, "Billion Bees," Devine showcases his softer side, as he softly plucks his way through a track that seems much shorter than its 3:32 run time.The country-influenced "Less Yesterday, More Today" -- complete with steel guitar -- is the most unique song on the album and reflects on the importance of moving on from the past and living in the now.Things pick up on the next three tracks "Like Cursing Kids," "Go Haunt Someone Else," and "The Burning City Smoking" -- the heart of the album's order."Like Cursing Kids" and "Go Haunt Someone Else" clearly channel Smith for the perfect mix of acoustic folk/pop, and "The Burning City Smoking" is classic Devine.A Dylan-esque folk song with sharp, politically fueled lyrics, "The Burning City Smoking" saunters out of the gate, but around the halfway mark it takes off with a guitar solo backed by heavy piano banging that transforms the reserved folk song into an all-out rocker.Clocking in at just over six minutes, "Me & My Friends" is the longest track on the record, but it never seems to drag on as it builds toward an epic ending."Trouble" is a catchy, upbeat track that has the misfortune of following such a stellar song. That, and its length (2:45), makes it the most forgettable song on the album.Bringing the album to a close, "Heaven Bound and Glory Be" provides the album with a somber closer that's as fitting as it is poignant.Since Put Your Ghost to Rest, Devine has released two more full-length albums -- Brother's Blood (2009) and Between the Concrete and Clouds (2011) -- but shades of Put Your Ghost to Rest can still be heard in his more recent work as Devine's sound continues to evolve.

Kevin Devine is constantly getting played in my dorm room. Put Your Ghost to Rest was my first of his albums, and it holds a special place in my heart because of it.He definitely turns down the screaming in favor of a lighter tone, which means a few more folky songs. But his lyrics never falter, and I'd argue that they hold more thought and warrant more consideration than his previous releases. He's got a very informal perspective on things, which allows him to be more visual throughout the album. Songs like "Billion Bees" and "Just Stay" are vivid descriptions of his life, while "The Burning City Smoking" and "Go Haunt Someone Else" will just plain get you thinking. Kevin writes honestly and personally. Not to mention the tunes are catchy.You really cannot go wrong with this album.

while not my favorite kevin record (make the clocks move holds my heart), this is a phenomenal record that shouldn't be passed by. it is a very stong major label debut and it's a shame that it isn't getting the praise & recognition it deserves.

it sounds like he just stopped trying to me. he used to be more subtle and complex, now he's just a mediocre coffeehouse folk troubadour. his voice doesn't even have any character anymore, he more speaks than sings. it's not like he experimented in any new directions, he just gradually lost everything that made him not bland.

Kevin Devine me encanta por muchas razones: sus origenes musicales, su paso por diferentes bandas y desde hace ya varios años por su carrera en solitario. Buscaba este disco en vinilo que en su día no pude comprar y finalmente lo tengo en mi colección. Es uno de mis discos favoritos de Kevin Devine, tal vez porque fué el primero que escuché... no va a defraudar a nadie porque ese no es su estilo

and the goddamn Band.So habe ich ihn kennengelernt, sogar persönlich. Ein netter Mensch mit seiner Band von denen ich nicht gedacht hätte, dass mir die Musik gefallen würde.Ich ließ mich eines Besseren belehren.Sehr angenehmes Gitarrenspiel, schöne und gut gesungene Texte, manchmal ein wenig weinerlich... Aber auf jeden Fall sehr entspannend.Musik zu beurteilen finde ich immer sehr schwer, ich tu es aber, denn ich halte dieses Album für sehr gelungen und kann es weiterempfehlen.Das ist hiermit getan!Viel Spaß mit diesem Album, ich habe ihn jedesmal auf ein Neues.