Customer Reviews

Make the Clocks Move

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Got this record when it first came out ( I was already a fan of Miracle of 86). He is, in my opinion, the true voice of a generation. Check out this record if you like Bob Dylan or Elliot Smith.

I've never written an Amazon review before, but I just absolutely couldn't believe that someone could give this album 1 star, so I felt compelled to add my 2 cents.

The singing is awesome. The lyrics are great. The music is perfect.

The lyrics are absolutely incredible. They *are* in plain english - which is what I and many of my contemporaries speak, and which is often overlooked by people trying to pretend to be deep. This album's honest and tremendous. If you're looking for psuedo-intellectual garbage from people wearing a goth, rap-metal or indie rock uniform, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a great album of honest American music, this is it.

I saw him last night at a show opening for Bob Mould in Hoboken. I had no idea who he was, I had never heard his music before, and while I'd heard of Miracle of 86, I've never heard them. I picked up the disc at the show, and I listened to it as I drove home, then as I drove to work this morning, and now I'm listening to it again. I absolutely love it, and I'll be buying all the Miracle of 86 albums and, if I can find it, the other solo album he has (they were selling it at the show, but I didn't pick it up...which is actually why I was looking up his stuff on amazon, which led me to write this review). It's very rare that an opening act impresses me enough for me to buy their album at a show, and I've never gone out and bought all their work the next day. He was that good. Besides getting the album, you should see him live. I was very impressed. In fact, the only criticism I would have of the album is that it was rocked out more live, which suited the style (and his voice) better. Still, the album is great, and anyone who likes this kind of music (I'd describe it as similar to older Matt Witte mixed with classic pop indie) should get it without hesitation.

In a sea of singer-songwriters with emotions crying to be expressed, Kevin Devine stands out quite nicely. His Miracle of 86 work and his previous solo album ("Circle Gets the Square")are very eloquent, strong statements. "Make the Clocks Move" is an even stronger statement. All is not well in Devine's world, and unhappiness seems to reign supreme. Relationships are disintegrating, life is dealing people bad hands, and Kevin is dissatisfied. Suggestions that his reaction to these misofortunes is to whine are very misplaced. His responses run the gamut from plaintive observations to anthemic shouts. Any album that begins with a song including an eight- or ten-person hand clap chorus would be unfairly dismissed as "whiny."
Lyrically, Kevin Devine is ten or twenty steps ahead of most of what is on the radio today. Why isn't his voice issuing from radios across the country? Who the hell knows? His turns of phrase evoke both pop and folk music, and the lyrics melt into the listener's brain, only to pop up hours later at random. The music flows perfectly in sync with the words, careening about like a runaway dish cart at times, and softly echoing at other times. The words and music are hook-heavy without ever coming within a mile of being either obvious or cheap.
You like catchy, well-written songs about the intricacies of daily life, so buy "Make the Clocks Move" already. Not only should YOU buy this album, and not only should you pester your friends into buying it, but you should be rallying to get this man as widely heard as possible. It's going to happen anyway, with or without your help, so why not earn a couple of cool points by being among the earlier people to spread the word?

I'd love this album even if it didn't blow me away the first time i heard it. I'd love this album even if Kevin wasn't one of the best solo performers i've ever seen. I'd love it even if the lyrics didn't completely kick my ass. But all those together, and i'm pretty much at a loss for words. Fantastic album, brilliantly recorded, painfully well written. Buy this as soon as you can, because it's a gem that your friends will steal out of your CD case at the first available opportunity. To make the album even more impressive, buy this album at the same time you buy KD's other solo release "Circle Gets The Square" on Immigrant Sun, as well as all three Miracle of 86 records, then listen to them in the order they were recorded just to see a really interesting evolution in songwriting.

So buy this album, then see Kevin live. if you ever take a recommendation, take this one.

is the new kevin devine cd as whiny as the first one? no, not at all. if you think he is a full-time whimp, you are terribly mistaken. kevin is psychoanalyzing relationships and the nation, he is clever and witty, ironic and funny in his lyrics. the music is full of energy, powerful and combative, sometimes angry and sometimes soft. but never whiny. make the clocks move contains multitudes. electric guitars, piano, glockenspiel and a clapping choir. kevin screams and whispers, he warbles and hollers and all with much more proffessionalism than on circle takes the square. smells like singing lessons.

comparing a cadillac for which you cant find a parking space with an american dream that gets you nowhere is certainly as brilliant as describing the symbol of the hardworking yuppie, a tie, with a noose dressed like a necklace. thanking for a note in a sneaker is certainly as cute as singing "you're the star on the top of the tree". kevin is all that: socialcriticism and sweetness.
he is a dreamer and down-to earth. he sings about silly nightmares about cheating and destructive jealousy, about romantic daydreams and feeling uncomfortable among friends.

kevin devine doesnt sound as if he is suffering as much as bright eyes. he has outgrown that and got it on the next level: sophisticated but entertaining songwriting with melodies that will stuck in your head.

Reflective, wistful, honest, poignant, playful, melodic, lyrical, and beautiful from beginning to end, this is everything you'll discover "Make The Clocks Move" to be. This is an album filled with songs to completely lose yourself in. The more you listen, the more you will appreciate Kevin's extraordinary singer/songwriting abilities. These songs are timeless and beautifully crafted ~ smart, funny, sad, and filled with incredible creative imagery. This is the perfect cd to share with your friends, and for them to pass on to their friends. The only thing better than hearing this cd is seeing Kevin perform live - he is one of those rare talents whose songs make their way right into your heart from the opening bars, he will completely captivate you with his humor and storytelling, unique voice, and technical proficiency on acoustic guitar. Kevin is a rare talent, unforgettable in every way. Make The Clocks Move is one of the best cds you will hear this year.

A very, very good album highlighted but a couple of incredible songs.

In my opinion, this is definitely Kevin Devine's most eclectic and seminal album in his catalog. That's certainly not demeaning his newer releases- they're amazing! I just really love the rawness and songwriting on this album, exhibiting Devine's true talents early on. From the in-the-rut heartbreaking opener, "Ballgame", the album delves into a sea of acoustic longing, regret, and reflection. The album continues into the intelligent "Noose Like A Necklace" about a certain man's unjust hatred, to the funny "Not Over You Yet". The entire first half is guitar strumming emotion, soon transforming into the sensational "People Are So Fickle" and "The Longer That I'm Out Here", some of the best tracks on the record! Of course, the songs are great from the first to the last, going together cohesively. This is really a beautiful album, and the lyrics just cut deep. Maybe too deep. He sings the words I feel and couldn't express myself, down to the very last line. Maybe that's why I love it so much :) And now it has been reissued with bonus tracks and new artwork, but I prefer the old album cover just a bit more. Hopefully now I no longer have to see this used for over $30. Get your hands on this beautiful album, listen to it a few times, and reflect. It might enchant you like it did me. I think it will. He's got that unique voice that'll send you into a summer swirl (whatever that means). I highly recommend!

This singer/songwriter drew my attention by being labeled as "Bright Eyes crossed with Dashboard Confessional by way of Elliot Smith." Sadly, while I can see elements of all three artists in Make the Clocks Move, it doesn't have the ElliotSmith + BrightEyes + Dashboard awesomeness for which I hoped. Rather, it's more like ElliotSmith/3 + BrightEyes/3 + Dashboard/5. The slower songs resemble Smith at times, albeit without the rampant minor keys. The faster songs do have a Bright Eyes element, and it's on these (e.g., People Are So Fickle) that Devine sounds his best. As for Dashboard, the only similarity I can find (at least with some Dashboard stuff) is a prominent acoustic guitar.

That being said, Clocks is still a decent album. It doesn't have the distinctive style of the indie rock essentials, or the utter catchiness of the pop sensation, but the quality of the songs and the originality of Devine's voice might be enough for me to eventually pick up the 2006 release, Put Your Ghost to Rest.

-Brandon

I bought this album blind based on a glowing recommendation from someone whose musical taste I have much respect for. I was frankly suprised at how great this album is. This is honestly one of the better albums I have heard in the last few years. That comment carries even more weight considering I am not normally a fan of the emo/indie rock genre.

The songwriting on this album is superb. Kevin combines his poetic take with a grounded view of the world. Anyone who believes this album is boring probably has not sat down and really listened to the intricacies of his descriptive narrative on songs such as "Ballgame", "Splitting up Christmas", and "Longer That I'm Out There".

I have lost faith in listening to popular rock/pop radio stations because they seem not to play quality, well written, well performed tracks but rather they choose to play overproduced and similar sounding tracks. But playing an artist such as Kevin Devine as part of a their regular playlist would surely help restore my faith.

This is an album you should go buy regardless of whether it falls into your normal listening genre.