Album Review: Devin - Romancing

Ramones riffs, Jagger swagger and early Elvis overtones - Costello that is. Devin. Not Bevan the heartthrob from the original Young Talent Time, not Devon the sandwich meat more mysterious than dim sims. Garage rocking, vocal twanging, punch in the face rock'n'roll Devin.

Traversing decades of influences, he navigates the musical canyons deftly, allowing squalling guitar licks to lift songs such as New Horrors and Masochist, while letting the rhythm section ride the rocky low roads on I Don't Think I and Run. Brooklyn-bred, he embraces the New York fuzz of contemporaries such as The Strokes, with a '60s claps-and-harmonies vibe akin to Little Red.

After creating some hype with his earlier Your Mine EP, Romancing delivers the goods in bulk with 14 tracks of hard-edged retro rock. Even in the softer moments of My Solitude and White Leather there's a 'Rebel Without A Cause' edge to his voice, threatening to crack at any note, that somehow turns his sorrowful and introspective honesty into a hold-your-breath thrill ride.

Not the regular 4/4 rock of the current wave of retro rock group, Devin shows some chops with staccato, syncopation and silky smooth tempo change-ups that any jazz great would tip their hat to. However, there is a naivety in his guitar knowledge that is evident on the album with at least four of the songs on the album having the same exact progression. Funnily enough, such is his connection you barely even notice. Besides, it's okay to be a one trick pony when the trick is really fuckin' good.