Posted on: December 11, 2010 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Two Gallants was one of my favorite bands of the last decade. Stick them up alongside Lucero and Latterman, and you’d have a hell of a concert. For whatever reason, Tyson (Vogel) from the band has attempted to have lightening hit twice. This is because ey has just released “Devotionals”, a full-length from a side project of the same name. The disc begins with “Toil and Joy”, a track that immediately sets off Devotionals from Two Gallants. There just seems to be a more introspective feel to the tracks here, as Vogel is given the time to work through a number of eir life problems in a music format.
Add to the equation the work of a skilled musician like Anton Patzner (Bright Eyes) throwing in violin work, and what listeners have here is something that is truly timeless.

The album ends with “Buildings of Heart”. While Vogel gives it six minutes to completely unfurl, I feel that this track is important in really acting as a go-between from eir Two Gallants music, the works broached on this album, and any material that is to follow for Devotionals. While the 10 cuts on this self-titled album do much to clarify some of Vogel’s mystique, I feel that ey can create a number of other titles without doing so much as scratching the surface.

Even when Vogel gives eirself the time to create an expressive and intricate effort, such as during the “Toil” duology (which in total reaches out over 13 minutes), listeners will still be clamoring for more.

Alive Records has fostered Vogel’s work over the course of the last few years, and I feel that Vogel is even doing more to give back to the label that (essentially) gave eir birth. Listeners should foster both parties by going in to their local well-stocked music store and picking up this release, for themselves or for someone else that will appreciate it.

Top Tracks: Toil and Joy, Chest Like Expansive Wings

Rating: 7.6/10

Devotionals – S/T / 2010 Alive / 10 Tracks / http://www.aliverecords.com

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