My relationship with Devin Townsend’s music is hit or miss. I think he’s produced masterpiece level albums, like Empath, and also chill out beauties like Lightwork. His classics, like Terria and Ocean Machine, are without reproach, and I personally love 2009’s Ki, as well. But there are some works that don’t feel targeted towards my personality, and I think the new one Powernerd could be one such album. It’s a good album, solid even, but I don’t see myself listening to it often. It will release on October 25th through Inside Out Music.
Devin has a long and storied career with many high concept albums, and he obviously has several sides to his musical character. He always brings together a great team of musicians, too. This time it’s Devin on vocals, guitars, synths, bass, and programming; Darby Todd on drums; Diego Tejeida on keyboards and synths; Mike Keneally on keys; Jean Savoie on bass; and Aman Khosla, Tanya Ghosh, and Jamie Jasta on backing vocals.
Powernerd is probably one of Devin’s least complicated, more jovial albums in some time. It’s actually pretty dark, so maybe that sounds like a contradiction, but the album certainly has its tongue planted deeply within its cheek, and there are various moments of humor and lightheartedness. I’ll be honest: that’s not the side of Devin I appreciate the most, but I know there are plenty of people who love it. Devin himself said that he wanted this to be a fun party record, but as with most of his albums, there is an introspective side to it, as well.
And that’s why I’m so conflicted on this one. I’m not a fan of party music; I suppose I’m pretty boring. Songs like “Powernerd” and “Knuckledragger” are clearly influenced by Motorhead and other classic rock—maybe the bands that I don’t particularly like. They gallop and ham their way forward with somewhat cringy lyrics, though you can tell that there is a deeper message, one of people overcoming weaknesses and low expectations to rise above. I like that, but it’s buried within music I don’t like.
However, there are some great tunes, too. I really like the singles “Gratitude” and “Jainism”, which display Devin’s philosophical side more, and I honestly can’t get enough of the feathery, weightless sound he sometimes employs, especially when punctuated with his subtle harsh vox. It’s a great contrast.
I think my favorites are “Glacier” and “Goodbye”. They sort of go together, I think. “Glacier” sounds like something from Empath with its choir-like vocals and epic sound. “Goodbye” reminds me of something from Lightwork with its celestial, fleeting sound that feels far more meaningful the more you hear it. I love the shades of light he provides in those tracks.
But for every song I like, there are some I don’t. The closer “Ruby Quaker” is about how much Devin likes coffee, and the music is on the edge of country at first. Ironically, it also has some of the heaviest moments on the album. It’s a classic example of Devin mixing genres flawlessly, but I don’t particularly care for it.
Overall, Powernerd has some great moments, but also segments that don’t reach me. I know that fans of his Ziltoid album or even his Casualties of Cool stuff might like this one, and that’s perfectly fine with me. I appreciate an artist whose range is larger than my own. For me, though, outside a couple tracks, I probably won’t visit this album often.
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The PROG Mind 