by David Wilikofsky
Dehd’s debut album, Water, came out a year ago. That album was written in the wake of the dissolution of Emily Kempf and Jason Balla’s romantic relationship, who make up two thirds of the band. It was a scrappy set of minimal rock music that bore some resemblance to Beat Happening and other K Records greats. With Flowers of Devotion, Dehd have undeniably leveled up from that promising debut. While the grit and charm that made that record so endearing remains, they’ve also increased the production value to release one of the best, most interesting rock albums of 2020.
Dehd’s music feels familiar on the surface yet utterly uncharacterizable as you dig deeper. It’s striking how much the band makes with so little throughout the album. The arrangements are spare and cavernous, often little more than a single jangling guitar line, a rhythm anchored by the drums and bass, and vocals. Yet at the same time there is a lushness to much of the music. The guitar sound on tracks like “Month” and “Drip Drop” recalls dream pop. Other tracks introduce country twang or reverb laden surf rock guitar lines into the mix. As a vocalist, Emily Kempf feels like she can do anything. She yelps, yodels, swoops and clicks her way through the album.
Kempf said of the time they were writing the album: ““we both went through hell, literally, and the world seems to be going through hell, too.” There is a certain darkness to the lyrics, but the band still manages to find joy through it all. A dialog between Kempf and Balla that seems to play out the dissolution of their relationship is titled “Haha”, accompanied by a jangling guitar line. “No Time” is an ebullient kiss off, complete with an energetic surf guitar solo and a joyous vocal performance from Kempf. Even more subdued songs like “Month” are achingly beautiful with shimmering guitar lines.
If there’s any message I’ve taken from the album, it’s that even in the depths of sadness there’s still beauty and hope to be found. Dehd can’t have anticipated the world Flower of Devotion would be released into while recording it last year; none of us did. But this bittersweet gem of a record reminds us to stay strong. Though its narratives are deeply personal, it still feels like a beacon of hope for better times to come.