That looks like a very comfy fleece. It’s a big day for Graham Ereaux, who’s back with his second album of 2024, and overall his fourth as Devarrow. The Nova Scotian likes to keep busy; on April’s A Long & Distant Wave, he advocated for making art quickly and for the sheer joy of it; a little over five months later (with three teaser singles!) he returns with Heart Shaped Rock, which is a product of that philosophy as much as anything else.
The album opener ‘Lightning Bolt’ is paired with a video we’re delighted to premiere below; it’s quite a way to open the 13-track record, and we don’t blame you if you get stuck on it because we had the exact same reaction. Songs that get stuck in your head as easily as this one does will do that. Of the song, Ereaux says (yes, you get the full quote): “[It] was written during a couple cold winter days in my converted school bus. I remember the time distinctly, as I had to keep the wood stove going to keep things warm, and spent many hours huddled up beside it, guitar in hand. I was listening to a lot of J.J. Cale at that time, and was inspired by his bluesy driving rhythms. I took that driving rhythm and sped it up, finding a way to incorporate it into a more contemporary poppy feel. Lyrically, I was striving for something that reflected a bit of the laid back vibe of being down at the bus, mixed with the idea that some days it’s just impossible to get anything done with so many distractions. Half the trouble with slowing down is just getting past all the distractions which pass you along the way.”
For the Canadians among you, the album release tour starts tonight, topped and tailed with two home state shows. Ereaux plays his native Halifax on November 21st; tickets are over here, his Bandcamp is over here (it’s also Bandcamp Friday!), and the ‘Lightning Bolt’ video, directed by Riley LaMarche, is down there. Heart Shaped Rock is out today on the ever-reliable Paper Bag Records.
