Flower Of Devotion

Description

"I want nothing more than to be alone," sings Emily Kempf at the beginning of *Flower of Devotion*, the new album from Chicago trio Dehd. It's a striking statement from a songwriter who, a year ago on *Water*, wrote about the joys and sorrows — and above all, the necessity — of love and companionship. The album amplifies Dehd's sound while bringing out the bright and melancholic nuances of Jason Balla and Emily Kempf's compositions. Balla's guitar lines sometimes flirt with delicate cosmic country, and at other times evoke the dark sounds of Broadcast. Kempf, for her part, asserts herself as a singer of rare expressiveness, moving from a high, solitary cry to a light "ooh!", pushing her voice to the limit before letting it fall. Together, they create descending counter-melodies reminiscent of The B-52s shaking off a heartbreak. *Flower of Devotion* shows how its creation strengthened the trio, individually and collectively, while maintaining an obvious enjoyment in the process. "It's allowed to remain light in the face of despair," says Kempf. This theme runs throughout the album, from the opener "Desire" to the chorus of "Haha," where they revisit their past with humor. The album was recorded in April and August 2019 in Chicago and released on Fire Talk Records on July 17, 2020.