Devon Gilfillian - Black Hole Rainbow (Review)
Devon Gilfillian reveals his heart and soul on his debut record...
10th January 2020
Capitol Records
My Rating:
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7.5
/10
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REVIEW
Devon Gilfillian is working within a similar vein to artists like Hozier and Rag'n'Bone Man, the latter of which I'd describe as maybe the closest comparative due to the soul-driven, rock-edged gritty sounds that he's working with. The difference is, not only does Devon have an incredible voice, but he pairs it with more organic instrumentation which, when working within this style, is a huge plus. Instead of stiff programmed drums hindering the attempted scale of the project as on Rag'n'Bone Man's Human, the drum beats here are precise but loose, grand but gritty, aiding in the creation of an album that is musically dark but lyrically uplifting, ever the contrast with gospel infused records such as this.
Of course, you could use that as a criticism of the man's work for lack of originality, but I feel that in this case the primary factor is the execution. The first four tracks feel absolutely massive, towering examples of the most appropriately grandiose and engaging endeavors into the rock and gospel side of his music, something that is can't be said of the fifth track "Thank Me Later", an example of the band peeling back the layers to create a more intimate and pretty song, with which I just wish the bass groove could have been as strong as on the previous tracks. Sure, what it lacks there it makes up for in the gentle chimes and faint guitars, but the track desperately needed the low end frequencies to provide some substance.
Past this point, the majority of songs fail to capture the same dynamic passion of the first few tracks, although that's not to say there aren't great moments or songs past this point, as immediately proved by the incredibly dark beat of "Stay A Little Longer", a song that rivals the opening tracks' passion but offers a different sonic direction that is arguably the most interesting on the whole album. On another note, this is the perfect time to highlight this album's immaculate production, helping to achieve the perfect balance between raw and detailed to capture the emotionality and complexity of Devon's relationships where his lyrics often fail, those lyrics being the weak link in a chain of positives to breakdown the album.
This is an album that definitely has its duds, but doesn't allow them to prevent it being an impressive and unusually fully formed debut record from an artist that shows more promise than I think Rag'n'Bone Man ever did, and certainly the execution is far better than on his breakout record. This is one of those near great albums with plenty of highlights and I'm happy to say I can confidently recommend it.
TRACK RATINGS (/10)
1. Unchained - 9
2. Get Out And Get It - 8
3. The Good Life - 8
4. Lonely - 8
5. Thank Me Later - 5
6. Start It Up - 6
7. Stay A Little Longer - 9
8. Even Though It Hurts - 8
9. Black Hole Interlude - N/A
10. Find A Light - 4
11. Full Disclosure - 8
12. Stranger - 6
BREAKDOWN
Ambition: 7
Atmosphere: 9
Catchiness/Enjoyability: 7
Content/Ideas: 8
Emotion/Engaging: 8
Execution: 8
Production: 9
Structure: 7
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Lyrics: 3
Vocals/Flow: 9
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Total: 75
Check out the music video for "Unchained"
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