Devin Townsend – PowerNerd
Reviewed by: Georgina Strilakos
Review Score: 8.5
Devin Townsend is back with a new chapter in his genre-bending career, announcing the release of his upcoming album PowerNerd on October 25, 2024.
As the title of this record might suggest, the artist is fully embracing his quirky, playful side and he’s not taking himself too seriously. He’s a proud and unapologetic music nerd, and this album is a heartfelt homage to all the music that he grew up loving and playing. The artist is indeed quite well-known for his eclectic range of musical projects and bands. This new album seems like it borrows from every one of those past projects, while still retaining a very spontaneous and one-of-a-kind vibe. It is not surprising to see that the album’s creative project was actually rooted in spontaneity. PowerNerd was written in just about 11 days, which is a relatively quick turnaround time for a record of any scope. Instead of overthinking and going too deep into the minutiae of making the album, the artist decided to really follow his first instinct. For this reason, the songs on PowerNerd benefit from a more immediate and diverse sound with a lot of electricity to it.
There is also room for some surprises, including a guest appearance from Jamey Jasta, which really matches the atmosphere and mood of this release. But aggression is just one of the many sides of this release.
PowerNerd has an interesting range of sounds and influences across its eleven tracks. Tunes like “Dreams of Light” bring moments of emotive introspection, while songs like “Younger Lover” transition from explosive energy to serene, synth-laden verses.
Lyrically, the album focuses on themes like strength and healing. On “Falling Apart,” Townsend urges himself to “keep the tension under control,” while “Gratitude” delivers a hopeful message, declaring, “You’ve got to believe that things will only get better.” These are very powerful statements, and there aren’t many albums or artists in the genre willing to explore such personal topics. Because of this, PowerNerd has a rather intimate quality to it, as the songs on the album represent a personal philosophy. Townsend takes the negative connotation of being a PowerNerd in light of everyone else in society, and it really turns it around. Being a nerd isn’t something that should be seen as weird, but it’s a strong statement of individuality and even a source of personal strength.
Track Listing:
01-PowerNerd
02-Falling Apart
03-Knuckledragger
04-Gratitude
05-Dreams Of Light
06-Ubelia
07-Jainism
08-Younger Lover
09-Glacier
10-Goodbye
11-Ruby Quaker
Line-up:
Devin Townsend – Vocals, Guitars, Synths, Bass and Computer
Darby Todd – Drums
Diego Tejeida – Keyboards, Synths
Mike Keneally – Additional Keyboards
Jean Savoie – Additional Bass
Aman Khosla – Additional Vocals
Tanya Ghosh – Additional Vocals
Jamie Jasta – Additional Vocals