Original Album Review: Devil

When indie rock group Lydia took a hiatus in 2010 following backing vocalist Mindy White’s decision to go a different direction with her career, it looked like the end was near. Now, just three years after scheduling farewell tours, Lydia has already released two new albums, including Devil in March 2013.

Long-time fans that yearn to hear White’s voice again may be reluctant to hear the band’s new material, but rest assured, frontman Leighton Antelman has only progressed as a vocalist. Combine that and the fact that the band’s lyrics are still hauntingly beautiful, and you have an album of the year candidate on the indie level.

Devil begins with “The Exit,” the perfect title for a group that nearly found themselves on the way out just a few years ago. An up-tempo song with catchy lyrics, “The Exit” could very well follow in the footsteps of “Knee Deep,” the album’s first single.

Compared to their two previous albums, Paint It Golden and Illuminate, Devil moves further away from the slow five- and six-minute songs while focusing more on the rock aspect of their genre. No song on their newest release even reaches the four-minute mark, a unique dynamic that speaks to the timeless boundaries of Lydia’s music.

As with past Lydia albums, the tracks flow well together and some of the album’s golden tracks are left for last. “Take Your Time” effectively combines more intense drumming and phenomenal guitar riffs, all in coordination with Antelman blurting out “I never wanna go, never wanna leave here. So darling take your time, yeah take your time” to start the track. Arguably, “Take Your Time” is the best on the record and is a prime example of the passion that Antelman has for the lyrics he writes.

“From A Tire Swing,” the song’s closing track, casts the image of young love, but also of a love that is mature and willing to stand the test of time. The soothing chorus of “We just stared at the sky from a tire swing, with some water and whiskey” is just another great example of the magic that Lydia is capable of.

Other standout tracks include “Back To Bed” and “Holidays,” but there isn’t a song on the album worth skipping over. Devil is a new direction for Lydia, but the quality of music has not suffered at all; if anything, it is truly the best album to date for this group.