And I’ve never seen an artist who’s more there, as a person, the way BNL are, in performances, interviews, interactions with fans, and so on. A few tracks I’d recommend, both for their musical awesomeness and their perfect, straight-on, to-the-point, perfectly-expressed lyrical content:

“Ballgame” from Make the Clocks Move
“People Are So Fickle” from Make the Clocks Move
“No Time Flat” from Split the Country, Split the Streets
“Lord, I Know We Don’t Talk” from Split the Country, Split the Streets
“Brooklyn Boy” from Put Your Ghost to Rest
“Me and My Friends” from Put Your Ghost to Rest
“Burning City Smoking” from Put Your Ghost to Rest
“Hand of God” from Brother’s Blood
“Brother’s Blood” from Brother’s Blood
“Tomorrow’s Just Too Late” from Brother’s Blood

And really, those are only a few. I think Brother’s Blood is his absolute best work yet, and actually I think my favorite track from that is the last song (it’s last both on the album and my little list above). I could go and on and just quoting great lines that really speak to me from the songs I just listed.

Let me know if you do some more listening, and what you hear. I want you to hear it too, what I hear.

This is a singular, impassioned piece of writing, and based on it, I can honestly say that I’m willing to give Devine a few more listens. I don’t know what you hear, but I want to.