Devin Dawson has today released his new EP ‘Pink Slip.’ Here, we review the EP and reveal our thoughts and stand-out tracks.
2 years on from his phenomenal debut record – Dark Horse – Devin Dawson is back with his new EP ‘Pink Slip,’ out today through Warner Music Nashville, including the sublime single ‘I Got a Truck.’ In the project, Dawson proves over and over again the extraordinary qualities of his songwriting, indulging his more romantic side on Pink Slip than in Dark Horse – doubtless a reflection of developments in his personal life (he married Leah Skyes in October 2019).
The project kicks off with ‘Range Rover,’ a song about seeing the materialistic desires of a lover and realising, because of this, that they were not the right one. ‘I’m looking for a girl who sees past blown speakers / And a broke AC and a bench seat / With a quarter-million miles on the motor / And she was looking for that Range Rover.’ There is a meaty, heavy bass groove to the track that sonically sets it apart from Dark Horse that is realised on the upbeat funk on ‘Not On My Watch.’ This is a quirky, alternative track about proving people wrong, ‘just when you thought I was down for the count… that s**t is not on my watch.’
This idea of resilience is a common theme on the EP. On ‘I Got A Truck’ shows Dawson returning to the sensibilities of Dark Horse, creating a bridge between the two projects. It is a bigger track – an astute choice for a single – showing Dawson leaning into his country sensibilities. Despite what the name might suggest though, the track avoids cliches in this driving song about a man with a dream ‘‘Cause I got a song / I got something to say / I got a will to survive / Got a dollar to my name / I got a heart / Got a little bit of luck / I got this go and get it feeling in my gut / And I got a truck.’ It’s as autobiographical a track as they come and it is possibly this that makes it a standout.
The later half of the EP is packed with a more romantic punch. On ‘Whatever Forever Is’ Dawson sings about wanting forever with his partner. ‘One kiss and baby that was for me / Now I just want to spend eternity / With you loving on me just like this.’ It’s a sweet but not saccharine love story about the meaning of forever and is immensely endearing. No less heartwarming is the stunning ‘He Loved Her,’ inspired by Dawson’s grandparents that is lyrically brilliant. It’s written from the heart and it is this that makes it special, authentic and familiar. ‘He had a dog, he had a beer, he drove the same truck 15 years… He earned his keep and he loved her.’ Perhaps what makes it so special is in the familiarity of the detail, there is nothing particularly unique about the story and those he describes, so much so that they could be anybody’s grandparents. ‘Who’s Gonna Hold Ya’ is the last track on the EP and brings back the groove on the earlier half of Pink Slip, all about finding your other half. ‘Who’s gonna know ya, better than anyone / Who’s gonna show up.’ It’s a dancing track that is the stand-out ‘live’ moment on the record, a celebration of joy and love that is the perfect end-note to the EP (and start-note to 2021).
Devin Dawson has always been a phenomenal songwriter and this EP is proof of that, with twisting and turning lyrics. Although it does not break any new ground moving on from Dark Horse, it is an immensely thoughtful and considered project that proves Dawson is only just beginning to scratch the surface of his songwriting.
