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Musically, Sproule has shifted gradually away from the emotional rawness of early albums like 2001's Long Sleeve Story, settling on immaculately crafted, personal songwriting that favours subtle experimentation and imagination over chorus-heavy bluster. I Love You, Go Easy continues the trend, stuffed to the gills with styles and techniques but put together skilfully enough that it rarely grates. The melancholic piano of the title-track skips, without a beat, into the smoky lounge funk of The Unmarked Animals, which in turn slips into sedate guitar musings on Monk / Monkey.
Jazz, folk, blues and country pass through Sproule's warm lens, all united by the singer's intimate approach and pastoral outlook. As well as effortlessly inhabiting her flock of genre influences, she steps into the shoes of other artists for the album's two covers, bringing a Joni Mitchell-esque vocal elasticity to Mary Margaret O'Hara's Body's in Trouble and effectively paring back the layered vocal harmonies of The Roches' Runs in the Family to a lone vocal backed by plucked guitar lines. As ever, Sproule's voice is front and centre throughout, and for good reason. She sings with an unaffected beauty that comes through the kind of talent that thrives on emotional commitment rather than endless rehearsal. In its ability to make an individual connection with the listener, I Love You, Go Easy is reminiscent of the languid brilliance of Bill Callahan's 2009 highlight Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle, his doleful baritone replaced by Sproule's welcoming harmonies.
In a world that demands instant gratification, it's hard to imagine an album like this making its voice heard. Far from asserting itself, it seems to wait for the listener like a friendly whisper, or a conversation just out of earshot. While it might not find itself a massive audience, fans of earthy, charismatic Americana might do well to seek it out for themselves.
--Chris Lo
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
Customer Reviews
At one point during the gig, she smiled right at me whilst singing. Her twinkly blue eyes and infectious grin made me feel like I had just opened a big shiny Christmas present! She skips around and dances like no-one's watching even though it's hard to take your eyes off her. As a musician myself, it's rare that someone captivates me so much from the start that I don't even notice the other band members, stage set up or the technical paraphernalia. I found myself lost in her world instantly, embracing her music with love at first chord.
Devon has the vocal gymnastics of a jazz diva and the lyrical dexterity of Joni Mitchell. Her subject matters are heart breaking and warming, ridiculous, hilarious and intensely personal. No holds barred, no area too dangerous to explore it seems. Her lyrics are also delivered in such a way that you are drawn in to her world where you want to pull up a chair and hang out with her. The production is accessible enough for the ears of Sheryl Crow or Amy Mann fans, but still furnishes the intellectual listener with unexpected musical twists and turns. It's delicate and raucous all at once, but never seems to lack the finesse of a well seasoned recording artist.
So just buy this album, it's full of beautiful songs and you will find yourself lost in it and hopefully playing it for years to come. It's a sure to be Americana classic; wholesome and well considered, with just enough sweetness... like the perfect apple pie with ice cream on the side.
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