Spin Spin Spin, it's gotten quite sad the way you have treated "under the radar" bands like Kevin Devine. Offering him a brief paragraph synopsis from a low level music critic on an album that, if released on a major label like your so-called other prodigal bands of todays music scene, would be praised.

You attempt to not portray music in the sell out fashion of RollingStone while still hoping to meet at that perfect equilibrium of cultural underground meaning and commercial success. Besides Chuck Klostermann this magazine has become a joke. Enough with the Killers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and every other flavor of the week band.

This album is a break through for an artist who quite deservedly has earned this. Working nonstop, unlike the other bands that frequent your most gracious reviews. Breaking down the barrier of one dimensional songs and meanings, Kevin Devine's new album is highly influenced by his predecessors as well as many of his closest friends. Neil Young and Crazy Horse can be heard through the title track - which quite frankly leads Devine's career to a whole new level. Jesse Lacey/Brand New has had perhaps the biggest influence on Devine and the album sounds a bit like Deja Entendu mixed Devine's classic fashion of simplification of sound and exemplification of lyrical undertones. Not too mention the fact that Manchester Orchestra played a vital role in helping move his sound forward.

With the help of Brian Bonz, Mike Skinner, and a few other old time Devine players - The God Damn Band sounds better than ever and Devine isn't overwhelmed as he sounds the best yet.

This album is an epic step forward for Devine and the album breaches his masterpiece work (if not being such as seen within the title track coming in at 7 minutes). Hopefully Spin will wake up one of these days and review and artist meaningfully rather than waiting around for Lady Gaga to release a new single so that they can portray her as the second coming of a pop icon - as if we didn't have enough of that nonsense already.

Great work to Mr. Devine and those who helped on the album, the summer tour should be a successful one as he supports this new material. Best of luck, no thanks to Spin.

Although I agree that the rating may not reflect what is written in the review, how can you use this one, extremely short, review as a springboard for a critique on this whole magazine?  More often than not Spin only give the "flavour of the week" space on the front cover, and an article in the middle. And the rest is filled with cool, smaller bands. This gives people, who care enough about the music, the opportunity to look them up and hear something new. And I have to question what is wrong with that practice?  What is Spin if it isn't a music magazine? Surely if it chose to totally ignore the "flavours of the week" it wouldn't be fulfilling it's role?  People do like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Lady Gaga, hell, I like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Lady Gaga. So what's the problem?

Hey HELDEMB. Your very passionate words about Kevin are much appreciated. But I think you're missing a lot of KD coverage right here on this website. SPIN's been very, very good to Kevin Devine, and I'm sure he'd tell you that himself if you asked him. Just wanted to share some links to all of the Kevin coverage we've posted over the past few years:

http://www.spin.com/articles/exclusive-download-kevin-devines-bad-dreams
http://www.spin.com/articles/exclusive-download-two-kevin-devine-songs
http://www.spin.com/articles/new-kevin-devine-mp3-another-bag-bones

and especially:
http://www.spin.com/articles/watch-kevin-devine-perform-live

Please click through, and enjoy!

From an unabashed KD fan (and director of SPIN.com),
Peter Gaston