Devon Sproule

Country of origin:

Canada and U.S.

Type of music generally:

Americana (country)

Status:

Most recent release, The Gold String (2017)

See also:

Devon Sproule's site

Comparisons:

A touch of Cindy Lee Berryhill here, Jenny Lewis

Covers/own material:

Own, occasional covers, traditional

General comments:

Devon Sproule plays a sprightly brand of Americana. (stjarnell@yahoo.com)

Recommended first album:

Keep Your Silver Shined is the first we've heard

Recordings:

• Long Sleve Story
• Upstate Songs (2003)
• Keep Your Silver Shined (2007)
• Don't Hurry for Heaven! (2009)
• Live in London (live, 2010)
• I Love You, Go Easy (2011)
• Colours (with Mike O'Neill, 2013)
• The Gold String (2017)

Keep Your Silver Shined

Release info:

2007—City Salvage Records/Waterbug—CSR16-WBG75

Availability:

See Devon Sproule's site

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended

Group members:

Devon Sproule—vocals, guitar, six-string banjo, thumb piano

Guest artists:

Jeff Romano—harmonica, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, vocals, rhodes, thumb piano, orgran, bass harmonica
Randall Pharr—bass
Morwenna Lasko—fiddle (1)
Nate Brown—drums, percussion (1, 2, 5)
Paul Curreri—six-string banjo (2), nylon-string guitar (5), guitars (9), vocals (10)
Charlie Bell—pedal steel (2, 8), resonator guitar (5)
Matty Metcalfe—accordion (2, 3, 4, 6)
Spencer Lathrop—trash kit (3), drums (4)
John Winn—clarinet (4, 6)
Keith Ganz—electric guitar (7)
Aaron Binder—drums (9) Mary Chapin Carpenter—vocals (10)

Produced by:

Jeff Romano

Comments:

Devon Sproule doesn't reinvent the Americana wheel on this album, but she has her own slightly girlish voice and a winning simplicity. She celebrates the changes life brings on the title song and does so beautifully. She has a poetic yet not pretentious language in her lyrics, and her approach is refreshingly new. "Let's go out" is jazzy and sweet. "Dress sharp, play well, be modest"is fun and laidback with a real down-home feel to it. Sproule does what she does superbly and that makes all the difference. (stjarnell@yahoo.com)

One of my favorites of 2007. (gordoja@optonline.net)

Thanks to stjarnell@yahoo.com for work on this entry.