Words can’t describe how much I desperately wanted to like Smokehound, the debut album from Devil Gone Public, purely because the album artwork is so damn awesome and features some stunning imagery, but unfortunately the music to accompany falls flat.
It feels like Devil Gone Public doesn’t quite know what direction to take with Smokehound; the album is all over the place and is difficult to follow and fully connect with. Nothing really stands out, and the songs are all so similar that there’s no real differentiation between the songs – it feels like one continuous song rather than singular entities with their own identity.
Don’t get me wrong – Smokehound isn’t necessarily a bad album, it’s just so underwhelming that it doesn’t leave an impression on you. Devil Gone Public give a solid musical performance and they’re skilled musicians, so possibly this is a band best appreciated live. The foundations are definitely there for a more powerful offering in the future, but as it stands, this album leaves a lot to be desired.
5/10
