Review: Kimberly Morgan York delivers wickedly cool ‘Devil Songs and Other Such Nonsense’
York’s new EP is among the year’s best releases.
“The devil’s in the details,” sings Kimberly Morgan York. That’s certainly the case, as you’ll find in “The Devil Works All Year Long,” for example, inside her brand new EP. Devil Songs and Other Such Nonsense is a weathered and worn four-piece that sees York digging in her heels to deliver a set that’s nothing short of exemplary. From its jagged edges, there emanates a soft tender glow of classic country, finding the singer-songwriter soaring high without ever leaving the ground.
“Somebody’s Knocking” gurgles with a supple darkness, like so many reeds twisting in the breeze. York’s voice is unwavering, as she plants herself in the eye of a musical firestorm. The devil’s flames might lick at her heels, but she never loses focus. She simply braces herself and locks her jaw. Nothing can deter her from dishing up some of the best country you’ll hear all year. Where “The Devil’s in Durango” sees York exhaling a mournful cry, EP bookender “Other Such Nonsense” spins on a barstool in a grungy dive bar. In each case, York displays a great knack for vocal storytelling, allowing herself to color ever so deftly color outside the lines when a song requires it.
Devil Songs and Other Such Nonsense makes for one of the year’s most surprising releases. It oozes classic textures, nestled within a modern finish. And Kimberly Morgan York emerges as a real country treasure.
