REVIEW: Something For Everybody By Devo

(Warners)

3 ½ out of 5

It’s ironic that this blast from the past created their name, Devo, to make the point that humankind wasn’t actually evolving but, in their opinion, regressing, considering that their first offering of new material in 20 years is pulling our memories and ears back just as far. As frightening as it is to admit, I was old enough to enjoy Devo the first time they stormed onto the synth/guitar-dominated scene. And when ‘Whip It’ entered the airwaves in 1980, there wasn’t another song heard more that year. What’s remarkable about this collection of 12 radio ready power-poppers is not just that the band’s sound hasn’t changed a bit, but that it’s so much like the rest of the music filling the charts circa 2010. You only need to listen to M.I.A., Robyn, David Guetta, Weezer and Kids of 88 for examples. Something For Everybody’s opener, ‘Fresh’, wastes no time in reminding old fans what was so addictively likeable about the weird hat-wearing new wavers from Ohio. And what you get from track one pretty much resembles most of what follows. Standouts include the irresistibly nutty ‘Please Baby Please’ and the equally bonkers ‘Don’t Shoot (I’m a Man)’, which you could imagine Dizzee Rascal feeling at home on. The only time this retro party slows down is on the forgettable Icehouse-style ‘No Place Like Home’. Devo’s return may have the artistic depth of a puddle, but it’s definitely one you’ll enjoy splashing in.

Review by Matt Ruys