Devotion Implosion

iTunes Review

After 2007’s Love the Virgins, a powerful offering built on ‘60s garage energy and strutting sex appeal, Gliss return with Devotion Implosion, a set that feels more narcoticized than amped up. From the hazy and beautiful opening track “Morning Light” (recalling both Lush and Jesus and Mary Chain) to the aptly titled “Sleep” and its drowsy guitars, fans of Virgins might find they need a little boost to keep them awake. Jump straight to “29 Acts of Love” or “Sad Eyes” for a couple shots of pulsing, clanging guitars (and, on the latter, a bold nod to that raw ‘60s energy we’ve come to expect from them), then temper your comedown with the billowing, hypnotic guitars on tracks like “Anybody Inside” and “The Patrol.”  Devotion has a different feel than Virgins, to be sure, but Gliss still aims for dramatic music capable of transporting the listener. The circling layers of guitars on “Lovers In the Bathroom” build and swell, like dark clouds on the horizon, and the lovely and delicate (by comparison) “Sister Sister” has a meditative, soothing quality.