Diona Devin – Anything But Numb / 2007 Self / http://www.dionadevin.com / Reviewed 30 March 2007

The title track for “Anything But Numb” is a track that attempts to go into a genre and style that has been done before. The strategy used during the opening to this song is smart; it is the vaguely rock, vaguely country genre that individuals like Carrie Underwood, Shania Twain, and Susanne Vega have all succeeded with. The fact that there is little more to the title track besides vocals and a guitar shows the ability of Devin to create something that will invigorate and compel listeners to stick with the album. The track is close to a level that could allow listeners to place the song on rotation, but better things await Devin on “Anything But Numb”. “Airplane Light” is a track that moves the guitar back a little bit while allowing Devin to wow listeners with eir voice. The instrumentation that is present during the track still highlights the nuance of Devin’s voice, but it is not anything that will struggle for dominance on this segment of “Anything But Numb”.

Devin does two things with this album. First off, there is the creation of a coherent sound for the entirety of the disc, and secondly, each subsequent track gives individuals a different way to conceive of Devin. “I Walk The Floor” is another slower track for Devin, but the piano has a little more of a role during this track. The harmonies are by and large still provided by Devin, but there is a little more in the way of balance between the two segments of the act. The slow start of “I Walk The Floor” gradually opens into something faster and more coherent. Devin occupies a musical space that allows the widest possible swath of fans to appreciate what ey is doing. That means that Devin will be picking up fans left and right by the time that “Anything But Numb” is over, and that those fans will undoubtedly have the disc on repeat for a few months after the disc is released.

The only thing that could conceivably be changed during “Anything But Numb” would have to be the backing instrumentation. If the style was a little more polished in the vein of a song like “30,000 Feet Above Goodbye”, then Devin would be easily able to sneak alongside artists like the ones that graced the beginning of the review. If this is your style of music, pick the disc up.

Top Tracks: I Walk The Floor, Airplane Light

Rating: 7.2/10

[JMcQ]