Album Review: St. Divine – The Devil You Know

Every reviewer has his/her/their own musical preferences, and those tastes inevitably inform how they approach and evaluate new music. In my own case, when I encounter the word “Americana,” I may not reach for my (metaphorical) revolver, but neither do I lean forward with eager anticipation. That said, the use of that over-used descriptor need not really apply to New York’s St. Divine. (Hey, if it helps then get listens, no harm and no foul.) What I hear is blazing garage punk with a roaring rhythm section that’s supremely tight. Impressively, when the band doesn’t attack full-throttle – as on the title track of The Devil You Know – the music seethes with menace, oozes with lubricity. St. Divine are as effective when they simmer as when they sear.

There’s an authentic sense of danger in these tunes, and the band makes exceedingly effective use of the male-and-female duet approach to vocalizing. The voices of Will Croxton and Judy Ann Nock twist and turn around each other like snakes on a caduceus. To double down on a point I made a few sentences back, the Americana textures – when they surface – are subtly, fully and seamlessly integrated into the band’s aesthetic. Check out the cowboy twang of “We Went Walking” for an example; it’s c&w-leaning without the artifice that so often permeates the style. In any event, I’d place St. Divine closer is style and spirit to cowpunk. And that’s a very good place to be. Recommended.