Chicago trio
Dehd
reached new emotional depths on their 2019 sophomore album,
Water
, a collection of songs informed by the breakup of bandmates
Emily Kempf
and
Jason Balla
.
's minimal and sometimes surfy garage pop bloomed into something more distinctive on that set of vulnerable and aching songs, with each of the three players revealing more of themselves in
's sweet but melancholic tones. Third album
Flower of Devotion
continues exploring the sunset-colored moods first achieved on
, but heightened production and experimentation with performance push the album into even sharper expressions of longing and languor. The last album was already a move away from the band's lo-fi beginnings, and everything is even clearer here. In addition to more adventurous guitar leads and a more defined sound across the board, songs like "Loner" and "Drip Drop" incorporate layers of synths and accentuate drummer
Eric McGrady
's steadfast, minimal rhythms with electronic drum machine samples.
Kempf
was already a powerful vocalist, but on
she pushes her singing to new, weirder places. Songs like "No Time" find her in an explosive
Patti Smith
mode, and elsewhere she swings between hyper
B-52s
-esque vocalizations and distant, mysterious crooning. The best moments of the album happen when all these new directions gel. "Loner" is a high point, with a driving rhythm and winding guitar leads making lots of space for
's singing to range from soaring lines to strange hiccupped melodies. "Haha" is similar, with simple, direct hooks and sharp melodies getting wrapped up in the mysterious atmosphere that coats the entire album. Detailed production and collective growth as performers meet with a songwriting style that grows more distinctive with each new release, making
a further step up. Some of the heartbreak and healing that defined the last album carries over, but more than anything
grows deeper into their sad, summery twilight sound. ~ Fred Thomas