Album Reviews

Dave Hause already released a pretty good first solo album with “Resolutions” even if it still felt a bit uneven at times. On his second outing however, Hause  pulls out all the stops, channels his inner Springsteen and ended up with a better album because of it.

Opener  “Damascus” and “The Great Depression” are two great reasons to get a copy of this album and immediately set the bar for the rest of the album incredibly high. Hause’s trademark vocals soar over the warm, soulful tunes and the way he wears his heart on his denim-clad sleeve is nothing but heartwarming and relatable. And when he slows things down like on “Same Disease”, the smart lyrics stand out even more even if they have to share the attention with the beautiful background vocals.

The second half of “Devour” is off to a hesitant start…”Father’s Son” and “Becoming Secular” are two songs that come with strong lyrics but don’t have much else to offer. Luckily Hause picks up the pace again with “The Shine” and ends strong with “Benediction”, a slow-burning track that explodes towards the end.

This is working class romanticism at its best and pretty much the only other negative thing about “Devour” I can come up with is that it probably means we’ll have to wait even longer for a new Loved Ones album.