The Stars at Saint Andrea [ENHANCED]

Devics

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 11, 2006)
• Original Release Date: February 4, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Bella Union
• ASIN: B00008KH26
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #533,230 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Cheap (domestic price) French import CD from 2003. Bella Union.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "My head was heavier than light........", February 6, 2003

By	"mack_61" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Stars at Saint Andrea (Audio CD)

I have been following the devics' music now for a few years. It never ceases to amaze me how much they continue to grow as musicians and change their style. The newest cd "the stars at Saint Andrea" is another example of just that. It is remarkably different from their last effort "my beautiful sinking ship" and their best work to date. Sara Lov has the most expressive and mellifluous voice I have heard. She is not just a singer but a narrator and a poet. Dustin O'Halloran plays almost all of the instruments this time around and apparently they wrote and recorded this record on their own in an old farmhouse in Italy. Don't worry Ed Maxwell is still in the mix adding his gorgeous upright bass and for the live shows they have 2 new members. "The stars at Saint Andrea" is the perfect mix of Analogue electronic sounds and organic instrumentation. Their music has too wide a range to pinpoint the source or diagnose a genre. If you are already a devics fan, you are going to LOVE this record. If it's your first time...I'm jealous.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Painful beauty, April 17, 2003

By	Angela P M (Tempe, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Stars at Saint Andrea (Audio CD)

This Cd is so intense that it is almost physically painful to listen to it. Sadness seems to materialize and take on a body for itself in these songs. It is so beautiful and striking that it will almost hurt you.

Highly recommended to those interested in trip-hop and its subgeneres, although Devics could hardly be labelled as trip-hop. People who enjoy Alpha, Portishead or Royskopp, might enjoy this, although the electronic edge is almost neutralized here. The only way I can find to describe the Devics style is filtered trip-hop: take all the electronica influence out and leave the core of transcendental melodies, and you've got Devics.

Not for the faint of heart.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars identifying their strengths, August 27, 2003

By	Matthew Keller (here, there, everywhere) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Stars at Saint Andrea (Audio CD)

I reviewed Devics last album "My Beautiful Sinking Ship". Someone entered a rebuttle to my review, but she didn't get it. The theme of the collection was what I liked most about the album. I should have been more direct in my review. Bottom line, "Sinking Ship" became a tedious bore around song seven. The tone stayed the same on each song and not a lot of tunefulness.
Much has improved on "Stars of Saint Andrea" without a lot of changes. The band still keeps it dark. However, the melodies are stronger. The main singer, Sara Lov, sounds less precious on this album. She sounds more like a cohesive band member rather than offset like some gloomy starlet. Her singing blends nicely with the instruments.
Enough comparing, on to what you need to know about 'St Andrea'. It's moody. It's atmospheric, making it a great bedsit album. It's a subtle album. "Red Morning" is a gorgeous, understated song that was actually released for a single. Despite being understated, it still worms into your head. It is infectious. At first, you may not notice the subdued trumpet on "All Your Beautiful Trees", but it's lovely. Devics also provide some very nice alternative country moments on this allbum. At times, they used a vocal effect on Sara's voice which keeps the album interesting. I like the fact that 'St Andrea' is a concise album, making it a pretty powerful listen. If you're thinking about buying it, there's nothing here annoying or overly depressing. It's subtle with a great pay off.