There will never be enough time to properly soak in all of the magic of all of the fantastic, classic pop-rock records. And while music used to be really good, and so much of it was made, there’s usually an easy way to know when great artists stopped making decent work.
Without exception, the one thing that ties together the great pop-rock artists is their desire to find some kind of shelter and peace. That’s the moment when they record incredible music. It’s once the money, the fame, and the distractions kick in that everything becomes overblown, safe, and meaningless.
Maybe this is why modern pop singer Devon Michael is glad to swim outside of shallow waters and live with her discomfort for the duration of “Even NASA Loses Satellites.” An EP with songs centred around feeling out of place, out of sorts and in search of something to help put you back together, “Even NASA Loses Satellites” is a reminder of all the things that we lose if we’re unlucky to suddenly have it all.
Just listen to the “Retrograde,” where Michael uses the movement of the stars as a metaphor for advancement disguised as backward movements. Musically, this is a giddy mix of soul vocals, 80s synths and pop choruses, and an encouraging listen.
In fact, the science-loving theme of the lyrics to this collection of songs is matched every step of the way by Michael’s reassurance to trust the process and never to despair.
The chill-pop of “Airplane Mode” rewrites the classic breakup song, as a story of people who’ve been locked out of each other’s lives by the gruesome lure of online activities. Meanwhile, “Jedi Mind Tricks,” with beat and vocals that sound like they belong to some hit-making machine out of Stockholm, is a love sign for innocent, hopeful nerds.
For the rest of the collection, Devon Michael, together with her team of songwriters, crafts pleasant, hopeful pop, of which many fans feel there is a current shortage. If that is true, songs like “Amateur Astronomer” or “Distance” are likely to find their fans easily.
But where does this leave us? Devon Michael is still searching and is glad to be doing the work. You should be as well. As the closing track, “When I Found You,” assures us once more, it’s the road up to the prize that’s what we all ought to be focusing on.
