Devon Kay & The Solutions – Limited Joy

Chicago ska-flavoured power-pop punkers Devon Kay & The Solutions have been kicking around for far longer than I’ve been aware of.  Boasting a prolific discography of EPs and singles, the band has released two full length albums over a six year period, so fans have been somewhat trained to expect a little wait time between major releases…

SURPRISE!

In the midst of a global pandemic the band has released their third full length, Limited Joy, without warning just one year after their sophomore effort.  Consisting of eleven anthemic, brass-filled, feelgood tracks, Devon Kay & The Solutions have packaged a handful of recent singles and stand alone tracks with a second batch of sonic goodies.  As someone warming up to Devon Kay & The Solutions for the first time, I can enthusiastically say that the uplifting combination of pop and punk seems to do the trick just fine.  

Before the album’s end it’s pretty clear why the band identifies with the power-pop brand despite the clear ska-punk inspiration.  If only for a moment, opener “Oh Glorious Nothing!” infuses a fleeting electronic synth element that serves as a precursor to for what’s to come.  It’s subtle but notable in describing the personality Devon Kay & The Solutions are striving for.  The songs are fast moving and rough around the edges – more Goldfinger than The Planet Smashers – with songs like “All At Nothing” shifting between quick tempos and energetic, anthemic horn  blasts.  The vocal style hits the sweet spot between crisp and coarse, punchy and assertive, with songs like “Evermore” offering a bit of a melodic and electronic breather to the brasher feel of tracks like “Keep Dreamin’.”  Meanwhile, “252 Brighton Avenue” offers up a big sing along chorus that, even after all these years, would make Reel Big Fish jealous – yet, they still hardly feel constrained by their ska affiliation. 

One of the more curious moments surfaces in “One Horse,” which feels like an autotuned take on Goldfinger and Direct Hit!.  It’s one of those moments that feels sufficiently off kilter as to favourably define Limited Joy as something off the beaten path.  “His and Hearse” maintains these similarities, but with a rougher, overall coarser delivery, complete with tracts of big, boisterous gang vocals.  “Risk Reward” is also worth noting with the amusing addition of twangy pseudo-acoustic strumming and a rolling feel-good rhythm, bolstered by the casual call of complimentary brass.

With Limited Joy Devon Kay & The Solution may have given their fans a limited heads up about the album’s impending release (I spied a few light hints dropped on social media the weeks before), but there are certainly no limits on how much fans stand to enjoy this unexpected surprise.  Limited Joy is a strong continuation of Devon Kay & The Solution’s take on brass flavoured power-pop with the potential to reach fans old and new.  My only hang up was that while the lyrics were certainly meaningful, I didn’t find any passages resonating with me or lingering in my memory far after (uncharacteristically, I didn’t end up quoting any lyrics in this review), but the same can’t be said of the melodies.  Limited Joy is full of earworms and catchy choruses sure to excite fans and newcomers alike.