Amigo the Devil – Everything is Fine
Release Date: October 19, 2018
Amigo the Devil is someone I never heard of before my band Collins Drive was invited to support him on his Atlanta date. Like anyone else, I did some research and my first thought was, “How have I gone this long and never heard this amazing artist.” Amigo the Devil (Danny Kiranos) is known for being the new king of the murder ballad genre and his latest album, Everything is Fine, not only solidifies this role but also presents him with the crown.
Opening with the moving “Cocaine and Abel”, the sparse, dark, melancholy guitar playing perfectly complements lyrics such as “But I was born impatient. And I was born unkind. But I refuse to believe I have to be the same person I was born when I die. ‘Cause change is alright.” This song just cut me to the core. The mix of solo acoustic songs and songs that feature such sparse instrumentation such as light drums, upright bass, and organ among others makes for more than just a listening experience; it’s without a doubt a journey.
“Preacher Feature” could be a long lost Johnny Cash song with it’s warm, haunting, baritone vocals while “I Hope Your Husband” is a drunken, barroom sing-along that ads a bit of light heartedness to break up the overall dark vibe of the album. Aside from “Cocaine and Abel”, the real showstopper for me is “The Dreamer.” Much like “Cocaine and Abel”, it’s a song about loss, growth, and even a bit of confusion and frustration at living. In some ways, I guess some of these songs aren’t so much just murder ballads as they are death ballads.
Amigo the Devil really turned my world upside down with Everything is Fine. It’s albums like this that prove that you can be just as heavy and dark as Slayer or Behemoth with nothing more than an acoustic guitar, a banjo, and words that stop you in your tracks and make you feel, make you hurt, and make you cry. Everything is Fine is an album that oddly paints a beautifully haunting pictures of death and makes the other side not so scary depending on what you consider scary. All in all, Everything is Fine is a perfectly, beautifully unique album that deserves every ounce of praise and success that comes it’s way. Amigo the Devil left his heart, soul, and blood all over this album and it shows.
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