New Music: Devereux Scales – It’s Always in My Heart

Ahead of the release of their new album, Drain to Live, Bay Area based Devereux Scales treat us to It’s Always in My Heart.

Centred on the guitar and vocals of Matt Lavin and Jeremy Nunes, It’s Always in My Heart doesn’t hide its allegiance to the 80s and 90s heyday of iconic labels like 4AD and Creation Records. The guitars chime and jangle; the vocals are evocative of dolorous daydreams, even as the track avoids indulging in melancholy without purpose.  

There’s much more to their arrangement, however, as Lavin and Nunes are joined on the album by Pat Toves on drums, Ben Martin on bass, and Linda Cleary on synths and backing vocals. You get from that full line-up a greater appreciation of a classic era in music, but also the impression that as a quintet, Devereux Scales will bring that sound up to date on Drain to Live, acknowledging the modern tendency for cross-pollinating genres like shoegaze, dream pop, and post-punk.

“This material grapples with feelings of fear and wonderment, anxiety and doubt, and at times it is cynical and fatalistic,” explains Lavin, who is also the lyricist, about the album.

“And the songs that look outward express dread for an uncertain future, shame at the crassness all around us, and the sense that everyone is just out for themselves.”

It’s Always in My Heart can be heard on Spotify, Bandcamp, and YouTube – for listening options, plus news on Drain to Live, be sure to follow Devereux Scales on Instagram.