Devin Sinha

Songwriting - 9.0 || Music - 7.5 || Vocals - 7.5
Web: www.DevinSinha.com
Location: Seattle, Washington
Genre: Contemporary Folk

On November 18th, Devin Sinha will release his 11 track LP titled, The Seventh Season,
a contemporary folk / singer-songwriter project that could easily put him onto some of the
top folk music festival stages in the U.S. The Midwest-born, Seattle-based computer
science major is showing the world that his talents go far beyond his technology focused
education might suggest. One listen and you’ll know that Devin’s new album was carefully
crafted, and he took his time making sure every note was in its right place.

The Seventh Season contains a great deal of powerful songs, but my favorite is Ripcord.
This track makes me feel good, in the same way that Cheryl Crow’s song, “All I Wanna
Do” does. While it does not sound like Crow’s music, it does have the same light and
upbeat vibe going on in the music and lyrical content. The added female vocal gives
Ripcord extra character and makes it easier for women to get into as well. This song
could become a rock radio hit in the Hot AC (Adult Contemporary) category, and I wouldn’
t be shocked if it did; of course, assuming Devin’s got the right strategy in place to make
that a reality.

But, this isn’t the only great song on the project. The Seventh Season offers other
amazing tracks, including: Lone Elm Road, Rain Song, Wanderers, and The Wolves.
Each of these selections are proof that Devin Sinha belongs in the music industry,
creating songs for the world to enjoy. I’d absolutely recommend this artist and album to
anyone who enjoys the sounds of greats like The Dave Matthews Band and The
Decemberists.

“THE SEVENTH SEASON” TRACK LIST
1. Ripcord
2. Lone Elm Road
3. Winter Child
4. Orion
5. The Sigh of the Sea
6. Rain Song
7. Wanderers
8. Whippoorwill Winter
9. The Wolves
10. Out of Love
11. Home - I Am Entertainment Magazine

When I first saw the cover for this Devin Sinha CD, The Seventh Season, I started thinking of singer/songwriters such as Sufjan Stevens and Devendra Banhart, folkies who grew up in the middle of the country (in Banhart's case, the country was Venezuela) and later learned how to filter those sensibilities through a more sophisticated life as a musician in a big city. Sinha, who grew up in and around Kansas City, does sound like someone who just stepped out of the tall grasses with a guitar and a notebook. He then settled down in Seattle, and perhaps the heavy, dripping PNW interest in all things Americana starting creeping in around the edges. The two halves of this musical identity fit in seamlessly, so much so that you might not even notice.

When musicians ride that fence between two or three genres as Sinha does, it usually results in a lot of interesting choices. Take the guitar line during the first few minutes of the opener, "Ripcord," and you'll swear that Johnny Marr joined Lampbchop or the Pernice Brothers. The open, rambling tempo of "Whippoorwill Winter" is straight from Alejandro Escovedo's Big Book of Ballads, mixing a spacious and rangy Texan sensibility that might remind you of your last trip to The Continental Club during SXSW. The stand-out for me was the beautiful and melancholy "The Wolves" which reminded me of Neko Case's "Star Witness," one of my absolute favorite songs of all time, more than once.

Sinha's voice is also a wry pleasure, a plaintive yet unusually relaxed style that almost suggests he can sing in a more mainstream manner but won't, a la Lucinda Williams. The band backing him is up for anything, contracting and expanding throughout the tracks, sounding like a collection of Seattle's best session players who were rounded up to make this gifted singer/songwriter sound like an old pro. These songs are mellow and polished, but they're growing-up-in-LA-in-the-'70s-with-all-those-cool-FM stations mellow and polished.

Once again I've been hamstrung by this odd habit I've acquired--listening to CDs for the first time on my car player while driving around--and so I suggest you let this album sink in a bit. My first impression was that it was slick, professional and a little too familiar, but after repeated listening on my reference system the songs added another layer of emotional depth, as well as a dreaminess that allows me to drift along with these songs with incredible ease. The Seventh Season is soothing and gorgeous while still preserving the sort of artistic integrity that will make you tell your friends, "No, there's a lot more here. Trust me." - The Vinyl Anachronist

The Seventh Season places in Northwest Music Scene’s Reader’s Poll for Top 10 Northwest Albums of 2014. - Northwest Music Scene

Seattle singer/songwriter Devin Sinha, originally from the Midwest, taught himself to play music in high school by dabbling on piano and eventually teaching himself guitar. He recently released his sophomore LP, The Seventh Season. Album track “Lone Elm Road” rocks hard with upbeat country twang and fluid vocals that could turn your heart to mush. We are proud to premiere the song today on magnetmagazine.com. Download it below. - Magnet Magazine

Seattle-area singer-songwriter Devin Sinha shifts things up on his second self-released album, adding percussion, electric instrumentation and layered vocals to his acoustic guitar-based, contemporary folk-rock, conjuring a sound equally reminiscent of Ryan Adams and Sufjan Stevens. The 11 songs on The Seventh Season go down easily, with Sinha’s surprisingly mature songs trading on a blend of heart-on-sleeve storytelling and poetic balladry, while his delicate fingerpicking work anchors such songs as “Winter Child,” “Orion” and “The Wolves.”  - Vegas Seven

Lawrence local makes waves in Seattle.Devin Sinha, Seattle based but Lawrence native, embraces the move to the West Coast with his second album, The Seventh Season. This album is about him making his new home in Seattle, which is seen clearly in the track titled, “Sigh of the Sea.” The opening track, “Ripcord,” is catchy enough to be stuck in your head for the rest of the day. Sinha is a folk artist who performs solo most of the time but on this album he used a full backing band to create a sound just a little different than what you would expect from him. The full band adds a fuller sound to the songs with more of a range. Don’t get me wrong, I love him solo but this album just takes it up a notch. Definitely give this a spin. Recommended if you like: Iron & Wine, Bob Dylan Recommended tracks: “Ripcord,” “Lone Elm Road,” “Rain Song,” and “The Sigh of the Sea” - KJHK Radio

Devin Sinha -- The Seventh Season
I'm going to try to double up on posts for the rest of the year (two a day!) because I have a lot of amazing music to tell you about, but not enough 2014 to tell you about it in. The first stepping stone in this marathon is Devin Sinha's quietly majestic The Seventh Season.


The album's lead-off track, "Ripcord," has a light, poppy feel to it. But make more mistake -- it's not fluff and neither is the rest of the album. "Ripcord" is, in fact, a gentle introduction to a mature, introspective album. While it's much, much gentler than most of the stuff featured here, The Seventh Season takes us on a powerful journey through life's more solemn moments, but has a key ingredient in its special sauce: hope and optimism. As the weather gets more miserable, keep The Seventh Season handy to remind you that the bad times don't just pass eventually, they often get better. - Adobe and Teardrops