Teghan Devon - Little Lion EP (Album Review)

We all deal differently with the loss of a loved one. There is no right or wrong way to react when placed in a situation that is, unfortunately, one of the tough facts of life from which none of us will be immune. There’s no road map; no perfect A-Z guide on how to do things, what to say, how to feel, how to deal with that almost overwhelming rush of emotions as so many thoughts and memories surface demanding your attention. Teghan Devon’s new EP ‘Little Lion’ might be about the loss of a childhood pet – or so it seems on the surface - but in dealing with that situation she’s tapped into the universal feelings we experience when faced with the loss of someone close to us.

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Teghan wrote the songs on ‘Little Lion’ as a reaction to the loss of ‘Sarge’ a 13-year-old yellow Labrador and her constant companion since she was a child. As she puts it “Losing Sarge is one of the hardest things I have ever had to go through. A year later I’m still going through it. A part of me will always be going through it. We've all lost someone we loved. My someone happened to have paws and the biggest, purest heart”. Anyone who’s ever had a pet, especially one they grew up with will not be surprised by this.  I still remember Rex, the dog I grew up with as if it was yesterday and not forty years since he passed. On 'Little Lion' Teghan is exploring the five stages of grief as proposed by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in 1969. It’s important to remember the five stages don’t necessarily follow in the expected order, acceptance of this can prove very difficult, but in these trying times when so many people are dealing with unexpected loss, the five stages seem more important than ever.

Opening with the title track we find Teghan approaching her twenty-first birthday and struggling to sleep due to childhood memories, while it’s not immediately obvious who is in her thoughts. The instrumentation is sparse with the deft use of resonator and acoustic guitars proving particularly effective in broadening the sound, while still allowing room for Cynthia Tolson’s mournful violin to provide the perfect accompaniment to Teghan’s clear, light and airy vocal delivery which exhibits a childlike quality, just perfect for the subject matter.

‘I Believe In Heaven’ is heartbreakingly lovely with Teghan’s gorgeous vocal harmonies a thing of beauty. Producer and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Hommel’s gentle electric guitar and minimalist piano add colour to Teghan’s acoustic guitar and the result is a tender joy. ‘Grieving Fire’ is a slightly edgier beast with an underlying tone to match the stage we’ve reached, Reed Sutherland’s upright bass is to the fore as Hommel adds multiple layers of electric, baritone and resonator guitar to the mix while Teghan brings an unexpected don’t-mess-with-me vocal swagger to proceedings. The song cycle concludes with ‘Maybe Then’ as Sutherland switches to the piano to accompany Hommel’s acoustic guitar. Teghan explores her vocal range here with impressive dexterity and lyrically does a nice job of introducing Sarge more implicitly into the narrative.

Now some of you will still be thinking “she wrote an EP about losing her dog?”  Well, yes she did but ‘Little Lion’ is about so much more. This is a lovely record, and you’d require a heart of stone not to be touched by the sentiment that Teghan brings to the table. Currently studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston, I’m going to assume she’s in this for the long haul, and we can expect great things in the future from Teghan Devon.

http://www.teghandevonmusic.com/