Devon More is a Vancouver, Canada-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has just come to my attention thanks to her most recent album, Sky Is Falling.
By Graeme Smith
Originally hailing from the city of Kamloops in British Colombia, Devon has seen the world on her travels. She’s picked up a few languages and survived a Traumatic Brain Injury. She’s poured all these experiences into her new album, giving us an anthology of stories about wanderlust, revolution and love.
In Sky Is Falling, she reflects on herself as much as the world around her, and we are given plenty of introspection and an honest viewpoint of what it means to be a woman in the 21st century. Yet, for all the lyrical depth, there is lightness too. Musically, Devon likes to combine alternative pop rock with some unconventional elements, creating something that feels fresh and engaging.
The album opens with the raw and jangly My Body Is. Philosophical lyrics are delivered by characterful vocals against a stuttering groove before we arrive at a chorus that feels somewhere between rock and funk. It proves to be the perfect opener to a collection that’s difficult to define.
Bluesy and organic anthem Beautiful Bitches sees Devon team up with Alannah Clark and Dana Schindel in an early highlight. Songbird is lively, welcoming and instructive while When I Go slows things down with a simmering, marching moment. By the time the gentle German-language meditation Sonnenblumenblütenblätter is finished, the diversity on display in Sky Is Falling is readily apparent.
Across the album’s remaining seven tracks, we get a mix of heavy rock (Sorry, Amsterdam), hedonistic sultriness (Finally Yours), empowering reggae-infused pop (One of These Days) and delicate acoustic folk (Come Over). Catch That Moon provides a late highlight with its grown up breakup story before Sunrise wraps things up with a rousing call to action.
Devon More truly is a musician like no other and Sky Is Falling is a diverse and ambitious record that showcases her talent and penchant for experimentation. Her music is for human beings everwhere.
Sky Is Falling is available in all the usual places and you can give it a listen below.
