Midway through Fresh, the first song on Devo’s ninth studio album, lead singer Mark Mothersbaugh sings in his familiar staccato “So fresh it almost makes me want to cry/So fresh it’s giving me a second life.”
It’s been two decades since Devo’s last studio release, and while there’s plenty of adjectives to describe Something for Everybody, fresh is not one of them (sorry Mark). That’s not to say Something is a poor effort — it’s not — but the ground traversed here is already trampled. Of course the album’s ubiquitous sound (which can be heard in newer bands such as the Ting Tings and Hot Chip) was created by Devo 30 years ago, so the band has only themselves to blame.
But Devo, which re-assembled the classic lineup to create Something, isn’t firmly entrenched in the past, as some of the lyrics and hooks bear out. Human Rocket offers an amusing dichotomy as electronic pings and pops meld with a chorus comfortable in any country song; Mind Games would perfectly fit on any LCD Soundsystem record — there is evidence Devo is pushing new boundaries. As for lyrics — which have never been the band’s strong suit — references to “nasty blogs” (Later is Now), “hybrid cars” and “don’t taze me bro” (Don’t Shoot (I’m A Man), give the album a clear time reference.
There are some bumps on the comeback road. What We Do is an example of 1980s music at it worst (remember Flash and the Pan? No? There’s good reason for that), while Step Up is a cliched piece comfortable in any ’80s movie montage (Real Genius, perhaps).
But there’s a certain ingenuity in No Place Like Home as it takes the ballad to a new, futuristic level, while Sumthin’ is a fun party song, even as it remarks on the New World Order, which is so 1984.
Like an old friend, Devo is back- maybe not as fresh as it thinks it is, but back nonetheless — sharing good stories and lasting memories. Welcome home, fellas.
