Devin Townsend – PowerNerd

Devin Townsend needs no introduction: An absolute legend in the prog world, and one of the most unique and remarkable musicians I can think of. But I will admit, I’m not familiar with a large portion of his music. I love some songs from the Devin Townsend Project era, and I’m absolutely obsessed with the 2019 album “Empath“, but other than that, I have yet to dive into his discography. So what about his latest release, “PowerNerd“. I don’t think anyone’s expecting by now that Devin will put out a “bad” album. Of course, there are some that we love more than others, but to put it simply, this is an excellent album in terms of composition, delivery, and production.

What I think is interesting about this one is that despite being nerdy and weird enough to deserve the label of prog, it is not very complex for the most part. The songs follow generic verse-chorus structures, with slight variations here and there, and the instruments mostly play a functional role. We have some basic riffs and easily engaging grooves setting the groundwork for Devin’s fantastic vocal delivery, which is of course unsurprising. Not only does he have a fantastic range and volume, but he’s one of the most emotive singers I know.

Devin Townsend – PowerNerd

But there are a few techy moments where the instrumental proficiency can truly be admired. ‘Knuckledragger’ shows some stellar kick drum patterns and ‘Jainism’ gets quite proggy with the rhythms and transitions. The tom rolling on the chorus is one of my favourite moments on the album. And yet, the craziest technical section is clearly the moment of ridiculous blasting followed by chaotic riff changes in ‘Ruby Quaker’, which is not only a total jaw drop moment near the end of an album that was mostly accessible and relaxing, but also superbly expressive and somewhat comical, given that it’s intended to simulate the effects of caffeine.

And that gets me to the expressive value of the music on “PowerNerd”. The kick-off to ‘Ruby Quaker’, with clean guitars and soft singing is so expressive of early morning grogginess. And the whole song is silly and focused on the love of coffee. There are other silly relatable moments like the mentions of “petting the cat” in the title track or partying with beers to avoid life in ‘Knuckledragger’. But in the broader context, these moments have a lot more value. The album feels very honest and vulnerable. While some songs feel rather personal and focused on a specific emotions (‘Falling Apart’, ‘Younger Lover’), the lyrics are abstract and decontextualized enough to leave room for the listener to have their own thoughts and feelings filtered through the song. Some songs also seem to deal with some existential anxiety (‘Glacier’), but they keeps a relaxing and warm tone. When it all comes together, the silliness, vulnerability, fears, and just the overall warmth of this album, I feel like Devin is constantly trying to be as human and as honest as possible. The broader picture of ‘PowerNerd’ just feels like whatever regular life might have become these days, but presented through a healthy and invigorating lens.

Devin Townsend – Gratitude

From a sensory standpoint, the textures on all instruments, but especially on clean guitars and keyboards, are airy and refreshing, and seem to give a sense of grounding and relief in connection to the fairly difficult feelings explored. It’s hard to describe, but it just feels right. I also think there’s a dynamic mix. The difference in volume between riffs and clean guitar parts is quite strong, and it makes th ebb and flow of the songs a lot more tangible and believable.

So there you have it. An excellent musician out out an excellent album. I don’t think that anyone reading this actually needed me to clarify that, but I just wanted to put my experience of this album into words, and if you read all the way through, I would like to express my ‘Gratitude’ for your time. That’s one if my favourite songs on the album by the way.

Track List:

1. PowerNerd (03:28)
2. Falling Apart (04:23)
3. Knuckledragger (04:30)
4. Gratitude (03:29)
5. Dreams of Light (00:54)
6. Ubelia (03:58)
7. Jainism (04:16)
8. Younger Lover (04:09)
9. Glacier (04:22)
10. Goodbye (05:58)
11. Ruby Quaker (04:32)