DEV!NE – The Golden Funeral (2024)
One thing I enjoy about writing music reviews is discovering new bands regularly. Sure, finding different styles of music and interesting concoctions is grand, but when you find an artist you truly connect with – that’s another thing altogether. DEV!NE is one of these artists. For about five years, give or take, Calum Devine has shared an intriguing sound with the masses as DEV!NE. From the 2021 single ‘Circles’ to 2024’s ‘Get Up, Kid’, the UK-based musician saunters across various genres from indie-pop to alternative rock, slowly building a sound that is his alone. The latest addition to his discography is the single ‘The Golden Funeral’.
Following his critically acclaimed track ‘Get Up, Kid’, ‘The Golden Funeral’ retains a hard alternative rock sound; however, a heavier slice of hard rock flutters through the melody. Crashing drums, a bold bass and soaring guitar brashly knock you with a gut-punching push of sound. Yet, while ‘The Golden Funeral’ is weighty and bold, a flood of vulnerability and tremulous fragility rush throughout the track. Confident and strong but intimate and haunting, ‘The Golden Funeral’ oscillates between glorious empowerment and tragic innocence.
Created with Mark Marrow, the single is harmonic with a hard rock symphony; but, as with the poignant flush of light and dark, individuality harkens each instrument. The drums pound with the bass pulsating beneath, yet it is the scorching guitar that both hits you and lulls you. For me, the star of ‘The Golden Funeral’ is DEV!NE’s obscure vocals. In familiarity, he takes your hand as a comforting friend but – and there is always another side of the coin – his eclecticism places a disconcerting haunting into your soul.
So, my overall opinion of DEV!NE? ‘The Golden Funeral’ is a song that sticks in your head for ages after it’s heard… it’s a great thing but also a bit of a problem when you have to listen to more songs. I don’t mind, it’s a beautiful thing to have running through my brain for the rest of the day. Highly recommended!
Find out more about DEV!NE on his Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and Spotify.
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