Split the Country Split the Street (Jewl)

Kevin Devine | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 10, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Triple Crown
• ASIN: B0008ENJ74
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #203,656 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

This 25-year old Brooklynite played some 300 shows supporting everyone from Bright Eyes to Nellie McKay to Bob Mould and Cassandra Wilson. His flair for grafting deft wordplay to clever melodies earned him acclaim for his debut, "Make The Clocks Move". This release was inspired by the past presidential election and losing his father to a stroke. "Everyday epiphanies you wish you'd thought to write down on your morning commute to work...with songs this good, Devine won't be joining us working stiffs anytime soon"--Rolling Stone.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Listening for 2005..., May 22, 2005

By 

Lisa Castagna (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Split the Country Split the Street (Jewl) (Audio CD)

This is Kevin's strongest collection of songs to date - songs that overflow with beauty, despair, hope, humility, and unflinching honesty - an eclectic mix of songs ranging from folk and country-tinged ballads, to indie rock gems - abundant with first-rate tracks that vary in style, tempo, mood, and story. It is a brilliant album from start to finish, from the curious opening bars of "Cotton Crush", which tick-tocks with anticipation like a time bomb before the song explodes into a full wall of sound that will level you. It changes over quickly to the jaunty, hands-in-your-pockets shuffles of "Afterparty". "No Time Flat" is a biting personal and political statement brimming with cynicism and truth. The true jewel of this album, though, is the heartbreakingly beautiful "Alabama Acres" and features some of the best solo acoustic guitar lines you will likely come across. There are truly near-perfect moments, as in "Keep Ringing Your Bell" which features some of the album's best lyrics, and the addition of his new electric violinist gives new warmth, richness, and body to the song, while you hear Kevin's fingers slide over the acoustic guitar strings with a personal, bare honesty you have to hear to appreciate. This is undoubtedly the album that will put Kevin on the map - consistently brilliant songwriting and performances on every track. My favorite moment is the instrumental that comes on in the beginning and end of the ninth track, but you'll have to buy it to discover it, to feel and experience it for yourself.

4.0 out of 5 stars getting better, July 22, 2005

By 

alexander laurence (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Split the Country Split the Street (Jewl) (Audio CD)

Kevin Devine is the Brooklyn singer who is flying in the face of fashion. He

has created quite a reputation with his live shows. Now this is his third

album. He has evolved musically over the years. Some of his early stuff was quiet

and intimate. He seems like he is working in a genre that Bright Eyes is more

popular for. Kevin Devine does have his own unique taste to music. He brings a

lot of disparate musical ideas and sounds together for the first time. Devine

mixes politics and his personal observations in the songs. The title of the

album may seem overtly political, but never is his craft of songwriting ever

lost. Kevin Devine is someone to be on the lookout for.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kevin does it again., May 10, 2005

By 

Andrew Simone "Andrew Simone" (Saint Louis, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Split the Country Split the Street (Jewl) (Audio CD)

If you have seen Kevin live then you have certainly heard some of these songs, and I would wager you wished he would record them. Well, he has. If you like Kevin's second album then you will love this. I believe it is the logical step in his musical career. You will find he plays a decent amount of tracks with a full band which have some "Sunny Day Real Estate (think Diary, not the other albums)," interspersed with his usual sound. All in all, I think it is his best record to date. You would be hard pressed to not buy the album. Besides, why not support a struggling artist who is a real nice guy?