Track listing: Hunger

I fucking LOVE the sparse instrumentation and arrangement of Devon Thompson's new single "Hunger." And kudos to her for writing the words "hunger strike" in her chorus but not giving that name to the song. Aren't we still all mourning the loss of Chris Cornell? But I digress. 

Devon's bio touches on her upbringing in Los Angeles but not for how the city made her who she is. Au contraire, she's an outcast of sorts and thrives in that role. She's more The Smiths, The Sundays, and The Cure than anything to do with sunshine and palm trees of Southern California. Her video for "Hunger" captures the vibe wonderfully. Moody, ethereal, and a smidge of marketable indie melodies, but also a spacey 90s-esque mystique that makes you wonder "Who is this, and when is she from?!"

Devon promotes her music in all sorts of clever ways to her 71K TikTok followers and documents things like her Marc Jacobs / Nordstrom launch party through her Gibson Guitars connection on Instagram, but that doesn't capture the vibe of her sound. "Hunger" is smooth, honest, stark. She's got a drummer and bassist...then layers her vocal and guitar purely over the rhythmic foundation that bring her soul to the forefront.

"Hunger" is catchy without being obvious. Nonchalant, yet not without a purpose to reach an audience who can connect with the music. A bit PJ Harvey but also a bit of Haim's panache. Musical talent and skill that shines throughout without overt displays of technique or range. Devon Thompson gives off a confidence through her sound that doesn't require vocal gymnastics, or forcing too-complex chord structures into a song where they don't belong. Just an intelligent, captivating arrangement and message in a package that's Pop enough to bop along to during your next long drive.

Dive into all things Devon Thompson at devonthompsonmusic.com.