Flower of Devotion＜Pink Vinyl＞

Chicago trio Dehd reached new emotional depths on their 2019 sophomore album, Water, a collection of songs informed by the breakup of bandmates Emily Kempf and Jason Balla. Dehds minimal and sometimes surfy garage pop bloomed into something more distinctive on that set of vulnerable and aching songs, with each of the three players revealing more of themselves in Waters sweet but melancholic tones. Third album Flower of Devotion continues exploring the sunset-colored moods first achieved on Water, but heightened production and experimentation with performance push the album into even sharper expressions of longing and languor. The last album was already a move away from the bands lo-fi beginnings, and everything is even clearer here. In addition to more adventurous guitar leads and a more defined sound across the board, songs like Loner and Drip Drop incorporate layers of synths and accentuate drummer Eric McGradys steadfast, minimal rhythms with electronic drum machine samples. Kempf was already a powerful vocalist, but on Flower of Devotion she pushes her singing to new, weirder places. Songs like No Time find her in an explosive Patti Smith mode, and elsewhere she swings between hyper B-52s-esque vocalizations and distant, mysterious crooning. The best moments of the album happen when all these new directions gel. Loner is a high point, with a driving rhythm and winding guitar leads making lots of space for Kempfs singing to range from soaring lines to strange hiccupped melodies. Haha is similar, with simple, direct hooks and sharp melodies getting wrapped up in the mysterious atmosphere that coats the entire album. Detailed production and collective growth as performers meet with a songwriting style that grows more distinctive with each new release, making Flower of Devotion a further step up. Some of the heartbreak and healing that defined the last album carries over, but more than anything Dehd grows deeper into their sad, summery twilight sound. ~ Fred Thomas