Devo: Something For Everybody (Warner)

By Ben Liew  •  11 Aug 2010 in Review

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Devo’s 1st in 20 years is a testimony to their prophecy of devolution. Yes, humans are getting dumber. It’s not all due to ignorant trendsetters like Lady Gaga (who happens to be a fan of Devo), but more so to our reliance to snap up anything that carries a catchy beat and a flashy appearance.

As such, Devo has and always will be a highly original sci-fi, satirical band, combining industrial disco with ranty and quirky robotic lyrics to produce everlasting proto-electro hits like ‘Whip It’, not to mention spawning art videos on MTV. Their latest release proves that they aren’t a band trying to reclaim anything. No, Devo are just rubbing it into the noses of everyone who dismissed them as an 80s novelty act with weird, cone-shaped hats and neon jumpsuits (Slipknot needs to give them credit here). This is classic Devo with their trademark jerky vocals, weird synth fills and decapitated drums, except with modern dance elements injected to lubricate the chaos. By far, this is the most digestible Devo album. And it’s clear to see that every dance icon from Gaga to Madonna has borrowed bits and bytes from them. Playful yet deviant in nature, the entire tracklist to the album was decided by fans online, hence the apt title. But who cares when you’re dancing like a devolved primate?

LISTEN TO: ‘What We Do’
IF YOU LIKE THIS YOU’LL DIG: Polysics, DNA, Suicide

Are we still not men? More Devo at www.clubdevo.com.

Devo performing ‘What We Do’ on Jimmy Kennel Live:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqPY6EZpsWg[/youtube]