Hello Reader,
Welcome back for another album review. I hope that you’re well.
Today we’re going to delve into the band Kitchen Dwellers. A band that released some album teasers on our site back in November and gave Josh a great interview. You can read that here.
The Montana “Galaxy Grass” (a term coined by the bands fans as what subgenre of Bluegrass the band plays) quartet consists of Shawn Swain on mandolin and backing vocals, Torrin Daniels on banjo and lead vocals, Joe Funk on Upright Bass and backing vocals and Max Davies on Acoustic Guitar, backing vocals. The Kitchen Dwellers were formed in 2010 while three of the four current members were in school at Montana State and would have jam sessions in Swain’s kitchen. Davies joined the band in 2014 and that Kitchen Dwellers lineup have released three studio albums Ghost In The Bottle [2017], Muir Maid [2019], and Wise River [2022] and a few self-released Live recordings including but not limited to, Live from the Wilma [2021], and Live at Pine Creek Lodge [2021].
Their newest album, Seven Devils came out via No Coincidence Records on March 1st for your listening pleasure. No Coincidence Records is an Independent label based in Denver. In addition to Swain, Daniels, Funk and Davies, Glenn Brown produced, recorded, mixed, mastered the album. Brown who is well-known in the sonic space, has credits that include working with Greensky Bluegrass and winning a Best Bluegrass Album GRAMMY Award for producing Billy String’s 2019 album Home. Bluegrass/Americana/Folk singer-songwriter Lindsay Lou provides outstanding vocals on “The Crow and The Raven (III)” and “Here We Go (VI).”
A significant inspiration for as a baseline theme was from the late 13th century Italian poet, Dante Alighieri. Alighieri’s best known for his epic three-part poem the Divine Comedy (completed in the early 1300s just prior to his passing). Overall, the epic poem tells the medieval perspective and vision of the afterlife held by Western Christian Church at the time. To oversimplify, the parts Inferno, and Purgatorio, are sin based while Paradiso is an allegory of the soul’s ascent to God. The Inferno features the nine concentric circles of Hell: Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath, Heresy, Violence, Fraud, and Treachery. Alighieri’s version is a lot more archaic and judgmental, and the Kitchen Dwellers version is a modern nod to it not an homage. The seven deadly sins themselves being: pride, greed, lust, envy, glutton, wrath and sloth. As you listen, and read further, note the song titles and lyrics.
The bands acoustic guitarist, Max Davies on Seven Devils, “These tunes deal with the human experience, and Torrin initially drew a parallel between the music and Dante. We explored the connection by correlating each song with a sin. Some of these connections are only apparent if you dive deep into the lyrics. Our goal is to essentially take the listener through our own interpretation of the Inferno story.”
The album’s title comes from the United States after Daniels adventuring amongst the Pacific Northwest and also along the East Coast, noticing that a lot of places, landforms as big as mountains with Seven Devils in the name.
Banjoist and lead vocalist Torrin Daniels on creating the album: “We didn’t go into the studio with the intent of making a concept album. I was driving around listening to everything, and I noticed these parallels. To dive deeper, we’re discussing topics like mental health, the human condition, and what we go through on the road. In life and music, everything is recurring and universal. I was reading Dante at the time, and it naturally fit. Daniels adds, “The record is a trip inward within the self. It tackles a lot of things in the world people try not to think about. The reality is we’re only truly happy when happiness comes from within. That’s the message.”
And now onto some album hype for your ears!
The visually stunning video for the “The Crow and The Raven (III)”:
(All credits and rights to the Kitchen Dwellers)
Find out why the song is titled, “Pendulum (V)”:
(All credits and rights to the Kitchen Dwellers)
The ascent on “Unwind (Paradiso)”:
(All credits and rights to Kitchen Dwellers)
Overall, Seven Devils is an adventure. A journey in the best ways. Inside oneself with relatability that is the shared human experience. It does not get on a soapbox and lecture. Rather it is a concept album with freedom to choose. Within Seven Devils, you get the exceptional quality in banjo picking, vocals, guitar, upright bass, and mandolin you’ve come to expect from the Kitchen Dwellers. And to delve deeper into the album’s specific themes, you also get substance abuse, broken hearts, relationships and exploration. The album is theirs as the concept is well blended throughout. You also get the connective break in the song “Drop Time.” Sonically, the album is well recorded, and excellent mixed. Kudos to Brown who brought them together and made excellent choices. And once again to Lindsay Lou for her vocals. She’s an awesome singer songwriter that shines both solo or with another group.
The opener, “Prelude” truly is beginning of the album. It clears the air, and the introduction foreshadows what’s to come in terms of instrumentation. And thus sets the tone nicely, transitioning the listener on their way to the first song.
The melody on “Seven Devils (Limbo)” is its own, features really explosive banjo and mandolin mixed in with upright bass and guitar. As a Bluegrass fan in general, but more specifically a Progressive/New Grass sub-genre fan, and a street grass/speed grass/Galaxy grass fan, I really love the furious pace of instrumentation. Immediately, I’m there. And you will be, as a listener several times on the album. The melody pacing change mid song and build up was a welcome addition before the melody pace picks up to close the song. As the word in parenthesis explains, the lyrics involve someone in limbo. They find themselves exploring the coast after a breakup.
The next song, “The Crow and The Raven (III)” is also about heartbreak. This is Swain’s story about a breakup at the time it was written. Beautiful violin and strings from the string quartet that producer Brown assembled. The addition of Lindsay Lou’s outstanding vocals truly enhance the tune and as they are paired with Daniels, they sound wonderfully complimentary. The band’s choice to use backing vocals featuring Daniels, Davies and Funk creates a mood that becomes defiant then triumphant. The sin involved in this song is lust.
The melody of “Pendulum (V)” showcases the banjo, mandolin and upright bass well. The melody creates a clap sound that would certainly encourage a live audience to participate as they dance along. The lyrics are about a person switching addictions from one to the next through well written allegories and the storyteller almost on the verge of lament. We all someone with an addictive personality and this song is a tale of that. The sin involved in this song is gluttony.
In “Cabin Pressure (IV)” the melody quiets down a bit. It is more guitar driven than previous songs and thus features more twang and less furious banjo. And it works. The lyrics are about recovery and moving forward. The sin involved in this song is envy.
The next song, “Drop Time” starts out with an electronic sound then a serious infusion of Galaxy Grass. The upright bass solos are memorable and give Joe Funk some time to shine. Before the melody shifts and… drops. A new melody arises from the ashes that is beautifully discordant at first.
On the seventh song on Seven Devils, “Here We Go (IV)” features a the rolling melody of a piano paired with the band. The melody is one that would fit into a country music dance club. Not honky tonk or line dancing per se, more specifically, a Nashville sound with grass infusion. It works. Lindsay Lou vocals standout both when solo and when paired with Daniels vocals. The vocalists tell a tale of exasperation and thus the sin involved is wrath.
“Meagher’s Reel” is a jaunt. The melody is Folk or traditional sounding in nature. Not contemporary folk ala Guthrie, Seeger, Ochs, Baez, or Dylan! This melody is a fitting prelude to someone born across the pond in “Waterford Son (II).”
The song, “Waterford Son (II)” tells the story of Irish nationalist, Thomas Meagher as he eventually makes his way into the US amidst Civil War and land acquisition by European descendants. This is a perfect use of melody choice here. The softer sounding music allows Daniels vocals to shine, and the instrumentation later create a folk sound to me. A fitting choice for the lyrics and subject. For more song title context, Waterford is where Meagher was from in Ireland. If this song is your introduction to Meagher, his life story is fascinating and worth exploring further. The Divine Comedy sin is greed.
“Wind Bitten (VII)” again shows off the bands Galaxy Grass melodic style, talent on instrumentation and Daniels vocals. The lyrics highlight inaction in someone who is feeling defeated. The sin is sloth.
In “Unwind (Paradiso)” Daniels uses a fabulous reverb vocal effect to sound distant and space like. The banjo and mandolin really stand out to me. Lyrics reference the story so far and even Hunter S. Thompson and then complete the conceptual journey before fading out.
“Seven Devils (Full Version)” opens with the intro to “Seven Devils (Limbo)” and expands upon the song. By far the longest song on the album, the epic jam is worth it. Lovely work here by the band on their instruments each getting ample time to shine. Compare, and contrast to the (Limbo) version and appreciate the differences.
Seven Devils gets 4.5 out of 5 Scum Drops from me. I enjoy the concept and execution of this album. Using literature and a religious based poem not often talked about 2020’s as a base line to examine inner self and human nature can be viewed as bold and welcomed. Using allegory and self-examination through songwriting and excellent musicianship to make a fantastic album. Additional production from Brown brings it all together. All the musicians and vocalists shine brightly. I can’t recommend this album enough. It is worth owning on any format, though I would learn towards starting with vinyl, so you listen through your receiver and those floor speakers. Add it to your collection!
Seven Devils Track listing [song length]
- Prelude [2:00]
- Seven Devils (Limbo) [6:37]
- The Crow and The Raven (III) [5:52]
- Pendulum (V) [3:42]
- Cabin Pressure (IV) [4:08]
- Drop Time [3:37]
- Here We Go (VI) [3:49]
- Meagher’s Reel [0:49]
- Waterford Son (II) [6:06]
- Wind Bitten (VII) [4:22]
- Unwind (Paradiso) [6:02]
- Seven Devils (Full Version) [10:21]
Total runtime: 57:25
I’ll always advocate that you take the time to listen to every album in its entirety. This process is usually an hour or less from start to finish. Along the way, you’ll discover your own favorite songs without the influence or bias of others. After a few listens on my own, the songs that are highlighted in green font above are my favorite songs on the album.
The bands website is here. There you can find the bands socials, tour info, merch and music.
Thank you for reading and supporting good music.
Until next time,
Alex
Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site: scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions!
Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com
