Devin Balram isn’t concerned with emotional frivolities. His gaze is turned inward, toward the deeper parts of his heart. That’s where the good stuff is, anyway. His songs evoke joy, love, ache, and hopefulness, those things which drive through the paces of our daily lives. His work is born from a heartfelt need for connection but isn’t overly saccharine like so many other artists who strive for this kind of concentrated introspection and empathy. As a songwriter, he adopts a classical sense of storytelling, aiming for heart-on-sleeve honesty rather than some false sense of earnestness.
His music is riven by an emotional density and a clarity of purpose. Pop, folk and R&B are all turned inside out and collected into a single coherent rhythmic vision. He sees his songs as a way of passing along histories to the next generation of song-makers, artists and melodic roustabouts. Through his multi-faceted arrangements, he finds common ground across various genres and disciplines, allowing for a sound as inclusive as it is compelling.
On his latest single, “Belief”, Balram explores visions of synth-washed indie-pop meditation and an internalization marked by personal conviction. Plinking notes echo across martial percussion as the persuasive movements of his voice detail his own internal emotional architecture. This is a statement of intent from Balram, a place where his own beliefs can be tended to while offering others a space to connect with their own principles. It possesses a perfectly flexible pop perspective, giving room for his words to echo in your head and for the music to sink down into your bones.
