DEV – The Night The Sun Came Up
Album Review by Claudia Boisvert
After her contribution with Far East Movement and The Caratacs to create that big hit “Like a G6” (peaking the first position on the Billboard), I thought we’d hear talking about the singer Dev a lot. Surprisingly, we didn’t, though she participated to a few songs with artists such as Timbaland, Demi Lovato, David Guetta, and released a few singles. A way to stay present in the music industry, even though her fans were eager to listen to her first album. Supposed to be released in September 2011, then earlier this year, “The Night The Sun Came Up” was postponed to March 26th in the purpose of adding more songs. Proposing a collaboration with The Cataracs, Dev’s producers, the album is really worth waiting for.
Not really knowing her style, except from the one shown in “Like a G6”, I wasn’t expecting something – or maybe was I. All I know is I got VERY surprised right at the beginning. Because it starts off with a tempo extremely slow, mixing a sweet voice with piano’s notes. Soon enough “Getaway” accelerates, but we’ve been giving a totally different view of this artist : Dev’s not only that catchy pop singer, she also has this interest for musical transitions and diversity. I adored that mix between the softness of a soul and some alternate harder version of it. What’s good with this album is this experimentation of sounds and effects, using various elements of electro pop but not too much. It keeps varying, like many albums in which artists try to find their own style, but I think Dev generally succeeded at this try out.
Of course, she couldn’t totally change, so we still get back to her usual electro-pop sound with songs such as “In My Trunk” and it’s repetitive use of the title during for chorus. Though, even in those kind of songs, she managed a way to break apart the usual sound and tried some variations. She also got some songs seeming more soft and personal like “Me”, which really tells a lot on Dev’s past and way of seeing life. “Naked” is a mix between those two styles, bringing a nice vocal collaboration with Ernique Inglesias. His voice fits very well with Dev’s one, and the beat is catchy while very light. It’s a song that could easily be on the radio and stay on our mind.
The rhythm comes back with “Lightspeed” and “Breathe”, songs having this great beat, with captivating chorus using the singer’s great vocal range. On the opposite, “Dancing Shoes” and “Perfect Match” bring another sweet touch, giving us lyrics quite deeper to listen at. We lose this kind of depth with “In The Dark” then Kiss My Lips, though they are quite catchy – and the last one has this great collaboration with Fabolous. “Shadows” goes back to cute melody, then finished off the record on an electric vibe with “Don’t Hurt It” (feat. Tumbaland). In all, I’ve really appreciated those songs we just want to dance on mixed with a side of Dev I didn’t knew about, a softer one. I think this is a great record y’all should listen to, especially because it’s her first. This girl will surprise you!
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Website: http://www.devishot.com/splash/
