Devour reviews

Hopefully there will be a lot of talk about the new album! Post all the links to Devour previews and reviews here.

First review for The Shine is on The Ruckus, written by Ant Barlow:

http://www.whatstheruckus.com/2013/08/tracks-dave-hause-the-shine.html

Thank you, Susan!!

Here's another one I found:

http://ghettoblastermagazine.com/2013/from-the-horses-mouth-dave-hause-on-devour/

On a break from The Loved Ones, Dave Hause’s Philadelphia-based rock band, he wrote and recorded the 10 songs that would result in Resolutions, his debut solo album that would go on to consume two full years of his personal and professional life. With the release of the album, Hause found himself touring North America, Europe and the UK multiple times, visiting Australia and even having the opportunity to play a rare show in Hawaii for the first time. In addition to performing on two Revival Tours, supporting The Gaslight Anthem on three tours and opening for the legendary Social Distortion on a recent month-long stint, the upcoming release of Devour is sure to find Hause touring incessantly through the remainder of 2013 and beyond.

Hause is set to release Devour on Tuesday, October 8 through Rise Records. Fans can now pre-order the new full-length album through Rise Records.  Devour presents itself as a thematic journey through its 12 tracks, carrying with it the idea that it is inherently American to have an insatiable appetite and how that appetite can potentially present obstacles when trying to maintain the meaningful relationships in one’s life.

Ghettoblaster recently caught up with Hause to discuss the record.  This is what he told us.

When did you begin writing the material for your most recent album?

I had the first couple of songs for Devour before I even wrote my first solo album, Resolutions. Devour would have been the third Loved Ones record had we stuck it out. I started writing these songs a few years ago, finished Resolutions and then got back to this batch.

What was the most difficult song to take from the initial writing stage through recording and mixing?  Why was it so troublesome?

“Same Disease” gave me some trouble on the arrangement side of things; I have multiple demos for that song with tiny things changed. It took on multiple forms. It started out as this really short, Ramones-influenced song and my friend Pete Steinkopf [of The Bouncing Souls] actually suggested playing it in its current arrangement. Playing it as a ’50s-style song was an idea I had that the producer, Andrew Alekel, really liked and encouraged. At the end of the day, songs that sound like The Ramones can often be played in the style of The Ronettes too.  

Which of the songs on the record is most different from your original concept for the song?

“Father’s Son” was an up-tempo rock song when I first wrote it. As the final batch of songs crystallized, it was clear that I had enough driving rockers, and I wanted a sleazier feel for “Father’s Son.” The guide post ended up being Lucinda Williams, specifically her song “Joy,” or Tom Petty’s “You Don’t Know How it Feels.”

Did you have any guest musicians play or sing on the record?

For a solo record, everyone who plays on the record is a guest, I suppose. As far as guest singers, Scott Hutchinson from Frightened Rabbit, The Watson Twins and Matt Skiba from Alkaline Trio all sang on different sections of the record and I was honored to have them play.

Who produced the record? What input did that person have that changed the face of the record?

Andrew Alekel produced, mixed, and engineered the record with Mitchell Townsend co-producing. Their ability to get the sounds that were in my head, as well as suggesting sounds I hadn’t even thought of was huge – they’re masters of their craft. The other major thing they did was to encourage me to work my entire vision for the record through. They loved the themes and the idea that the record is all tied together, even chronologically, and they really made sure to help me see that through.

Is there an overarching concept behind your new album that ties the record together?

The major theme is the idea that in America there is this insatiable appetite, most probably hard-wired to manifest destiny. It is why Tony Soprano as a character resonated so much with so many people, and probably why there’s such a giant interest in reality TV stars of all kinds. That appetite can yield intensely ambitious people, capable of big things in the world, but also is really difficult to manage in most human relationships.

It’s a tricky balance, and it was something that was very close to my heart as I now am into my thirties – where you start to figure out why you act the way you do, what factors from your childhood shape who you are and who you want to be, and why certain relationships haven’t worked out. I tried to hammer out the effects of that hunger, as well as where it comes from, and ultimately what makes life worth living after you’ve ripped through everything and everyone in front of you for years.

Have you begun playing these songs live and which songs have elicited the strongest reaction from your fans?

I have played a few of these songs live, for sure, and thus far “Autism Vaccine Blues” and “The Shine” have really gotten people’s attention, to the point of having people singing along at shows which is a total trip. I can’t wait to play the rest of them live.

Another german interview in the current issue of FUZE Magazine:

Thank you for the article!!
"Becoming secular" love his answer and in general his opinion about religion!!

These Melodies wrote:

Thank you for the article!!
"Becoming secular" love his answer and in general his opinion about religion!!

second this

..oh and we need this high-five smily!

Devour review from Jersey Beat: 

http://t.co/K8YB4c80h6

Dave article and Devour review in the Visions magazine

I don't have the time to translate it just now, maybe one of my fellow Germans will do it.

Thanks for sharing!

Nice Review of We Could Be Kings; A mixture of Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and Foo Fighters. Could be worse...

First bad-ish review I've seen
http://www.soundspheremag.com/reviews/album-review-dave-hause-devour/

Philadelphia-born Dave Hause is about to embark on a month long European tour playing his new album ‘Devour’. With musicians Bob Koster (My Morning Jacket), David Hidalgo, Jr (Social Distortion) and Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio) amongst other big names working on the album, it really raises the hopes for the journey into the “inherent American appetite”, as Dave puts it. “Is it ever enough?” – well, Dave, seeing as you’re begging the question, let’s find out.

DH_Devour_Cover_Web

Starting off with ‘Damascus’ there’s an instant feeling of a strong intro song, sounding almost Bruce Springsteen-esque with a more modern spin on it. For the first few songs, there is a very similar train of thought. The politics expressed in the song (Hause himself says that there are political themes running through the songs) could come across as tired if it wasn’t for the passion put into his voice. One issue which you start to find after hearing the first few songs is that they follow a very neat and very safe format. Hause has found a way to express himself through music, but doesn’t experiment too far out of the boundaries of this format, leaving the songs feeling a little bit too over-produced and formulaic.

The album picks up once again at the midpoint with ‘Father’s Son’. Here the predictable beat and tempo we’ve heard throughout the album breaks into a upbeat blues-rock mix with heartfelt lyrics. Similarly, ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ picks up the slack that the start of the album left. The most enjoyable song on the album is by far ‘The Shine’, which has an amazingly catchy chorus and pounds away to a fantastic beat.

So, “is it enough”? Hause certainly knows what he’s doing on ‘Devour’, but the overly formulaic style of the first half of the album and a few of the latter songs really hurts the experience. The music definitely supports his folk-punk style singing voice, but the instruments lack the spark of excitement needed to really make this a fantastic album. Although it definitely improves massively in the middle of ‘Devour’, it’s not enough to lift it up to new heights. The album is a good listen, and has some really catchy tunes, but the fact it is played so safely and lacks experimentation brings it down. With such an all-star cast of musicians by Hause’s side, you expect more. Sorry, Dave. This time, it’s just not enough.

From Punktastic: http://punktastic.com/reviews/dave-hause-devour/

Dave Hause – known best for his efforts with The Loved Ones – has been working hard on his solo career in recent years, and ‘Devour’ sees those effort reaching maturity.

There’s little doubt ‘Devour’ draws on “all American rock and roll” in a way that fans of The Gaslight Anthem will identify with immediately, but Hause has a timbre to his voice that arguably suits the style better (‘The Great Depression’) and the comparison should end somewhere around their respective influences meet. Hause has a knack for telling a story, and each song feels lifted straight from his heart (‘We Could Be Kings’). The word “authentic” will probably be thrown at the album often by critics, and it’s hard to really argue against that – the details in the production are immaculate, and coupled with a rawness in the delivery that leaves Hause’s emotions and talents exposed, there’s very little to fault here.

Sure, it’s not going to please everyone – those expecting The Loved Ones or a punk rock record may not find what they’re looking for – but the songwriting is fantastic. Hause has done a fantastic job on the record, with songs like ‘Damascus’ and ‘Same Disease’ being highlights on an album that would sound perfect blasting driving down some 18 lane American Highway in a top down Cadillac (for the sake of our reality, it’ll probably sound good on the A3 from the door speakers in a Ford hatchback too).

Dave Hause has hit the sweet spot with ‘Devour’, and anyone into the crossing points of punk, rock and acoustic music will find a stack of things to love about the record.

Another review by Ant Barlow / The Ruckus:

http://www.whatstheruckus.com/2013/10/dave-hause-devour.html

Very good review from Dying Scene

http://dyingscene.com/news/album-review-dave-hause-devour/

llow me a moment to be blunt, if I may: I fucking love this album.

(Okay, I understand that’s an incredibly pedestrian way to start an album review, but this is a punk site, not the Wall Street Journal. But I digress.)

Dave Hause has been refining his craft as a solo artist for the last handful of years. His 2011 debut full-length, Resolutions, proved an excellent introduction to the world of solo artists (though this writer has gone on record before in thinking that the alternate versions of each of Resolutions‘ tracks recorded for a singles project last year were superior to the originals). The success of Resolutions, coupled with Hause’s high-energy performance and ability to connect with crowds of varying backgrounds prompted a seemingly endless touring cycle that found him opening for bands like the Bouncing Souls, the Gaslight Anthem, Social Distortion and Flogging Molly in addition to a lengthy stint on Chuck Ragan’s Revival Tour earlier this year.

Hause’s teeth were no doubt effectively cut on a grand scale during his years in punk bands like Paint It Black and, of course, The Loved Ones. And while Devour contains moments that will sound familiar to those looking for an up-tempo, anthemic sound, it also finds him taking a giant step forward in songwriting style, not unlike the ‘American Songwriter’ set that includes the likes of Cory Branan, Jason Isbell, Justin Towns Earle and that ilk.

Devour plays as a logical, albeit infinitely more melancholy, follow-up to Resolutions. Hause continues his penchant for self-awareness, and a heavy dose of realism looms large in his lyrics. The difference in progression from freshman to sophomore releases lies in the overall tone. Where the bulk of Resolutions contained heavy-hearted, realistic tales of people that had borne witness to more than their fair share of struggles, there still remained an overall theme of hope. On tracks like “Time Will Tell” and “C’mon Kid,” not to mention Resolutions‘ title track, Hause came across as the kind of buddy who would share a beer with you, listen to your troubles, put his arm over your shoulder, and tell you that things were going to be okay.

Devour, however, finds Hause playing the role of the buddy who might need to take the advice he used to give you ever-so eloquently. Devour was written during times that were apparently troubled on myriad levels for Hause, and the change in lyrical content is noticeable. Tracks like “We Could Be Kings” and “Autism Vaccine Blues” made their live debuts months ago, and present angrier takes on material that we found on Resolutions. If there’s a theme to the majority of Devour, it’s that we in post-Generation X America did everything we were supposed to do and we find ourselves, well, fucked anyway. There’s a certain segment of the working-class population, particularly those of us in our mid-thirties (editor’s note: Hause and this writer are a year apart), that feel increasingly as though we were sold a bill of goods by our forefathers. Like every generation in American history, we were supposed to be successful, more successful than the generations that came before us. We took our vitamins, we did our homework, we prayed when they told us to pray and knelt when they told us to kneel. Only, a funny thing happened on the way to Broadway, and Hause hits on these notes with particular vitriol.

The years since Resolutions’ release, however, seem to find Hause continuing to look not only outward into the ways that society may be spiraling down the drain, but further inward, and perhaps liking less and less of what he sees. Were this a Bill Simmons column, here’s where we would discuss the multitudinous ‘stomach punch’ moments contained on Devour; those moments where if you’ve got any sort of a conscience to speak of, you can quite literally feel the air being sucked out of the room given their weight and gravity. (Of course, if this were a Simmons column, we’d then spend 2500 words discussing which member of the Saved By The Bell: The College Years cast each song on Devour is most like and ohmygod please push me in front of a commuter train.) Devour is full of those moments, perhaps no greater than on tracks like “Father’s Son,” “Becoming Secular” and “Bricks.” The latter two tracks are sparse, haunting, angry songs that play like a man who is not afraid to keep his heart on his sleeve while processing the feelings attached to once-great relationships that have somehow turned south.

The first real glimmer of the sort of hope we were used to from Resolutions comes during the chorus of “Bricks,” however, in which the otherwise melancholy Hause first speaks with tempered optimism about starting over. Album closer “Benediction” is a unique way to tie the album together with the same thread, and at long last helps us realize that, while it’s already been sung, it can’t be said enough: all you need is love (editor’s note: a select few of you will get, and appreciate that reference).

With his second full-length (the first on new label home Rise Records), Devour, Hause has solidified his reputation as a solo artist to be reckoned with. It’s probably safe to say at this point that he’s all-but-officially jettisoned the references to his former band from any needed introductions, much like Tim Barry and, of course, Chuck Ragan before him. And like those two, while Hause may be destined for greener pastures, there’ll always be a seat at the punk community Thanksgiving table for him.

I'm partial to the Dying Scene one.  

'Bout time I joined this place. Great site.

Unfortunately only in German ...

http://www.hb-people.de/tipp/musik/dave-hause-devour#main-content


Dave Hause beleuchtet auf Devour (VÖ: 11.10.2013) die andere Seite des amerikanischen Traums.

„Welcome my friends to the show, dance and drink if you’d like or sit back and take notes,” begrüßt uns Dave Hause auf seinem neuen Album “Devour” (auffressen / vertilgen), dem Nachfolger des sehr erfolgreichen Debüts “Resolution.”

Devour ist nun allerdings wesentlich düsterer als sein Vorgänger geworden. Bereits der zweite Song gibt mit „The Great Depression“ thematisch die Richtung vor. Das gesamte Album handelt von der Distanz des „amerikanischen Traums“ zu der amerikanischen Wirklichkeit. „The Great Depression“ wagt dabei einen Blick zurück in die eigene Kindheit, die dem Hörer durchaus bekannt vorkommen kann. Bremen und Philliadelphia, Unsere und Daves Heimatstadt können manchmal doch näher zusammen liegen als allgemein bekannt. Zeilen wie „We were our fathers sons, playing war on weekend days with our plastic guns,“ oder „and we roared right though our twenties, never bargained for a crash,” funktionieren auf beiden Seiten des Atlantiks. Am Ende kommt Dave Hause zur Erkenntnis, dass die gebrochenen Versprechen der Kindheit (Reichtum, Glück, Aufstieg etc.) unauslöschbare Eindrücke hinterlassen haben.

Ursprünglich wurden die meisten Lieder auf „Devour“ für das dritte und noch immer ausstehende Album von Daves eigentlicher Hauptband „The Loved Ones“ geschrieben. Allerdings stellte sich schnell raus, dass die Springsteen-infizierten Rocksongs besser in das Gewand des Solokünstlers Hause passen würden, als in das einer Punk Rock Band. Dave Hause beschwört auf „Devour“ mehrmals den großen (Stadion-) Rock Pathos. Rockende Gitarren, treibende Drums und hier und da ein verstecktes Klavier oder eine Steel Guitar, mehr braucht es nicht um eine Rock N Roll Platte zu machen. Und das ist „Devor“ – Rock. Dave Hause ist kein Singer Songwriter und die Musik die er spielt ist kein Folk, so wie es viele Sänger von Punk Bands praktizieren. Sehr wohl aber werden die Songs im kleinen Kellerklub als auch auf großer Bühne funktionieren. Seine Wurzeln verliert man nicht so schnell. Und die liegen bei Dave nun mal im Punk Rock.

Die Lieder „Before“ und „Father’s son,“ hinterlassen musikalisch, ein seltsames 90iger Gefühl. Das Vater / Sohn Thema ist so wie so ein weiterer prägnanter Punkt auf „Devour“ auf den immer wieder eingegangen wird. Als ob das Versprechen, dass dem Vater mal gegeben wurde, nicht nur bei ihm nicht eingehalten wurde, sondern sich diese Nichteinhaltung ohne weitere Einflüsse auch auf den Sohn übertragen hat. Allerdings nennt Dave Hause in seinen Liedern nie einen Schuldigen, erhebt also keinerlei Anklage gegen Personen oder Institutionen. Allerhöchstens gegen sich und seine Generation selbst, die sich durch zu viel Konsum und TV freiwillig verblöden und einlullen lässt. Dave Hause wirft einen Blick auf die andere Seite des amerikanischen „way of life“ und sieht dabei viel Schatten. Aber am Ende auch etwas Licht.

„The Shine“ wartet mit einer Hommage an einem von Daves Lieblingsliedern auf, welches sich auch oft im Live Repertoire befindet. Und erinnert im Outro stark an Donots feat Frank Turner’s „So Long.“ Das sehnsuchtsvolle „Bricks“ geht schließlich in „Benediction“ über. „Oh my friends time to go, did you enjoy the show,“ startet das letzte Lied des Albums und so schließt sich auch der Kreis, der mit dem ersten Song begonnen wurde. „did you dance, did you drink, did you take your notes?“ Aber nicht nur auf den ersten Song wird eingegangen. Die Kernzeilen eines jeden Songs werden noch mal wiederholt und von einem anderen Gesichtspunkt beleuchtet. Schlussendlich bleiben die letzten Zeilen: Its love my friend in the end, that can save us tonight. So are you in? – seid Ihr dabei? Bei Dave Hause? Bei Devour? Bei der Musik? Bei der Liebe. Den mit den beiden zuletzt genannten Punkten lässt sich schon viel erreichen. Manchmal können sie sogar Leben retten.

I don't know if any of you have an account or even know the german magazin "Vision".
But if you have an account you can rate the album + write a review!  
http://www.visions.de/platten/19376/dave-hause-devour

Again only in German (sorry), and it's a good review again.

I found this one sentence particularly interesting and thought provoking as it's what I thought about a lot in the past years and which had me make a couple of radical changes in my life.

Above all the singer in his late twenties (nice compliment - Dave just said in the Matt Pryor podcast that he's 35 ) criticises the habit of always wanting more which also resulted in the title Devour.
....
A lot of sorrow comes from how difficult it is to build up personal relationships because people are hungry for more. Our priorities are nowadays to become more, to get more - no matter if it's food, drinks, women or money.



http://www.schwaebische.de/journal/kultur/musik_artikel,-Ausgetraeumt-_arid,5513417.html?et_cid=2&et_lid=2&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Der amerikanische Songwriter Dave Hause legt mit „Devour“ sein zweites Soloalbum vor

Der amerikanische Traum liegt in Trümmern. Dave Hause kehrt die Scherben auf und macht Hymnen daraus, die trotz melancholischer Note keine Resignation kennen. „Devour“ ist das zweite Soloalbum des Songwriters, der früher Frontmann der Punkband The Loved Ones war.
Diese Band hat der in Philadelphia geborene Musiker allerdings zu den Akten gelegt. Ursprünglich hätte „Devour“ das dritte Album dieser Band werden sollen – aber dann kam es anders.
Dave Hause reiht sich ein in die Riege von Musikern wie Frank Turner oder Dallas Green, die ihre alten Bands Million Dead und Alexisonfire zu Grabe getragen haben, um eine komplett eigene Vision zu verfolgen. Keine Band, keine Kompromisse: „Je älter ich werde und je klarer meine Vorstellung wird, desto einfacher ist es, solo zu sein, weil man das Sagen hat.“

Blick zurück
Stichwort Älterwerden: Das Album ist ein Blick zurück auf die Kindheit, auf die Vergangenheit. Da ist etwa der Song „The Great Depression“: „Ich hab versucht, einen Song darüber zu schreiben, wie ich in den 80ern in einem Arbeiterklasse-Milieu aufgewachsen bin, mit meiner Familie, Freunden, Cousins. Es geht auch ums Älterwerden und wie sich Versprechungen, die man dir als Kind gemacht hat, entwickeln.“
Denn weder Rockstar-Träume noch Werbe-Illusionen hielten, was sie versprachen. „Es gab Hoffnung auf sozialen Aufstieg: Wenn du hart arbeitest, kannst du ein gutes Leben führen, wenn auch mit beschränkten Mitteln. Inzwischen ist es aber so: Beide Eltern müssen extrem hart arbeiten, um ihren Kindern eine gute Umgebung und eine gute Schule zu ermöglichen – nichts Übertriebenes, sondern mit Einschränkungen verbunden. Es ist sehr schwierig geworden. Gerade mal 20 Jahre später. Und das ist auch Teil dieses trügerischen amerikanischen Traums, der verdunstet ist.“
In erster Linie kritisiert der Endzwanziger die menschliche Angewohnheit, immer mehr zu wollen – darum auch der Titel, der „Verschlingen“ bedeutet. Der Musiker, der durch Touren mit Bands wie The Gaslight Anthem und Social Distortion eine solide Fanbasis aufbauen konnte, findet: „Viel Leid kommt daher, weil es schwierig ist, gute persönliche Beziehungen aufzubauen, wenn man diesen großen Hunger hat. Das wird noch kulturell verstärkt: Unsere Prioritäten liegen darauf, mehr zu bekommen, mehr zu tun, egal ob es um Essen, Trinken, Frauen oder Geld geht. Am Ende ist es eine haltlose Situation.“ Aufgenommen hat Hause das Album in den Grandmaster Recorder Studios, wo die Foo Fighters ihren Meilenstein „The Colour and the Shape“ zur Welt gebracht haben. Andrew Alekel, der bereits für Bands wie Bad Religion und Rush an den Reglern saß, wirkte als Produzent mit. Die Zeichen stehen auf Erfolg. Die Vergleiche mit Bruce Springsteen nimmt Dave Hause als Kompliment. „Er hat so viel gute Arbeit abgeliefert. Er ist ein Beispiel, was du machen kannst, wenn du es willst.“
„Devour“ gilt schon jetzt als eines der spannendsten und möglicherweise wichtigsten Alben des Jahres. Der Sound ist von amerikanischem Heartland-Rock geprägt, atmet Folk und Country. Dave Hause gelingt der Spagat zwischen hymnischen Songs wie „We Could Be Kings“ und melancholischen Stücken wie „Before“. Als Gastmusiker wirken unter anderem Dave Hidalgo Jr. (Social Distortion) und Bo Koster (My Morning Jacket) mit. Besondere Anspieltipps: „The Great Depression“, „Autism Vaccine Blues“, „Fathers Son“ und „The Shine“. Live: 28. 11. München, Strom; 3. 12. Stuttgart, Universum.
(Erschienen: 11.10.2013 18:50)

Code:

Yes, I’m talking about “Devour”, the second record of Dave Hause. As I don’t like normal reviews,  I asked people, if they want to write some sentences about their favorite songs of “Devour”.

http://stayclosetoyoursoul.com/2013/10/13/dave-hause-is-a-word-smith-lets-talk-about-devour/

Thanks Jasmin!

Susan wrote:

Code:

Yes, I’m talking about “Devour”, the second record of Dave Hause. As I don’t like normal reviews,  I asked people, if they want to write some sentences about their favorite songs of “Devour”.

http://stayclosetoyoursoul.com/2013/10/13/dave-hause-is-a-word-smith-lets-talk-about-devour/

Thanks Jasmin!

wow! I love it!!

Another german review:

http://www.motor.de/rezension/2013/10/devour-dave-hause-review-rezension-motor/

I really liked this sentence:

"Auch Dave Hause rennt gerne in Karohemden durch den Garten, dabei stets geschultert: Die Akustische."

"Dave Hause too likes it to run around in his garden wearing check shirts, shouldered: the acoustic guitar"

Only German again - but 8/10

http://www.rockszene.de/reviews/1910-dave-hause-devour.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Dave Hause
Devour
Rise Records (2013, CD)

Neben einigen der bekanntesten Singer/Songwritern wie Chuck Ragan und Frank Turner reiht sich Dave Hause problemlos in die Liga der Punkrocksongwriter ein. Mittlerweile ist der 35-Jährige eher für seine Soloalben/EPs bekannt, die er seit 2010 veröffentlicht, doch ansonsten ist er auch noch Frontmann der US-amerikanischen Punkrockband The Loved Ones, die 2009 ihr letztes Album veröffentlichten. Nun konzentriert sich Dave Hause augenscheinlich auf seine Solokarriere und bringt mit „Devour“ seinen zweiten Longplayer auf den Markt.

Als The Loved Ones 2010 beschlossen, eine Pause einzulegen, war dies für Dave Hause noch lange nicht „das Ende vom Lied“: Er widmete sich von nun an seiner Solokarriere und zusammen mit Chuck Ragan von Hot Water Music, Brian Fallon von The Gaslight Anthem und Dan Adriano von Alkaline Trio performte er 2011 als Teil der „Revival Tour“ und konnte so mehr und mehr an Popularität gewinnen.

Die erste Auskopplung aus „Devour“ war der Song „We Could Be Kings“ – eine gute Wahl. Plätschern die ersten beiden Songs ein wenig vor sich hin, schafft es Dave Hause hier, den Hörer mitzureißen und vor dem geisteigen Auge entstehen sofort Bilder vom Publikum in einem kleinen Venue, die Dave Hause Arm in Arm die Lyrics entgegenschmettern und freude- (und wahrscheinlich auch bier-)trunken auf den Abend anstoßen.

Von da an nimmt die Platte an Fahrt auf, der ruhige Einstieg trügt. Textlich verarbeitet der aus der Arbeiterklasse stammende US-Amerikaner seinen zebrochenen „American Dream“. Auf „Devour“ widmet er sich der Diskrepanz aus Hoffnung und Scheitern – und der Zeit dazwischen.

Dave Hause beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, warum es von Natur aus Amerikanisch ist, einen unstillbaren Hunger zu haben und wie dieser Appetit unbezwingbare Hürden in die bedeutsamen Beziehungen eines Lebens bringen kann. Da „Devour“ zu Deutsch „vertilgen“ oder „verschlingen“ heißt, ist dieser Titel natürlich ganz passend gewählt.

Für seine Gedanken auf „Devour“ fand Dave Hause auch eine ganz passende Beschreibung: „Am Ende bleibt die Idee, dass du eventuell in der Lage bist, dich selbst zu retten, solange du Musik und Liebe hast. (…) Dieses einfache John Lennon-Konzept von „All You Need Is Love“.“

Und dieser Gedanke und all das Herzblut hört man „Devour“ nicht nur textlich, sondern auch musikalisch an. Höhenflüge und Tiefpunkte, wie sie das Leben schreibt.

Hanna Rühaak
(8 / 10 Pkt.)