AMIGO THE DEVIL – BORN AGAINST – ALBUM REVIEW

Amigo The Devil returns with a brilliant new release entitled Born Against. Amigo The Devil is the alter ego of outstanding songwriter, Danny Kiranos. He is no stranger to AMP as we have featured him several times on the website. This album continues Amigo‘s nefarious quest of the dark side. His music is pure Americana/folk with a strange twist. Amigo‘s songs are beautiful, full of mesmerizing intonations still his lyrics are morbid and illuminate the atrocious underbelly of the human soul.

Amigo has been quite proliferate in the past few years. In 2018. he released two albums, Volume 1 and Everything Is Fine. The two records fostered such hits as “Hell and You”, “Perfect Wife” and Cocaine and Abel”. In 2018, Amigo dropped the EP, Covers, Demos, Live Versions, B Sides which was a huge fan favorite.

Born Against showcases Danny’s strong songwriting skills and his grisly lyrics. His words savor the ominous and gruesome nature of humanity yet the listener still feels a weird sense of contentment. The tunes somehow ferry a warm ambiance and calming atmosphere. It is only when you listen closely to his bleak wording do you realize the true nature of his spirit which creates a weird dichotomy, exquisite music and ghastly imagery.

Born Against opens with the melancholy “Small Stone”. Amigo‘s orchestration on the tune is amazing. The lilting strings, dynamic surging piano and emotive vocals create an intense aura of angst and nervousness. Next up is “Quiet as a Rat”. The tune centers on religion and the lack of God’s presence in our dire moments. The circus and dirge like cadence hides the drastic subject matter.

There was a kid who came home

Red from panic and fear

Some kids at his school had beaten him way past his tears

His mom cried, “Jesus Christ!”

As she cleaned the blood pouring out of his ears

But it was obvious that, quiet as a rat

God was nowhere near

The pre-chorus rings out:

And everyone treats commandments like more of a bucket list

So I’ve been asking why, I was born against

“Murder at the Bingo Hall” is classic Amigo The Devil. His sarcastic sense of humor peeks through the clouds. Even though the song depicts a mass shooting at a bingo hall, the song puts a twisted smile on your face.

From the second I walked in I planned my attack

Three packets in hand, I sat at my usual table in back

He might’ve been calling the numbers, but I was calling the shots

After four in a row I jumped up and yelled

“Someone should call the cops, I’m killin’ it”

All the while the music swirls deliriously in insane beauty.

“Drop For Every Hour”, “Better Ways to Fry a Fish” and “Different Anymore”  follows and the depth of Amigo‘s genre bending is forefront. He mixes pop balladry with folk standards in order to build a wide array of harmonies and melodies. He is a genius at developing unique musical concepts. “Another Man’s Grave” is a desperate tome concerning depression and mental health. It’s a dramatic composition that exposes a person’s desolation and desperation.

Cause this isn’t life

And I know that I chose it

But I can’t stand waking up

And nobody knows it

Later Amigo croons:

So I’m shaking around like I’m hanging from something

I know is a about to break

Like I’m biting the gun but the safety is on

I threw up the pills I ate

The notes are all scribbled in pencil

Without really knowing what I’m trying to write

Something like “goddamn the man who said everything’s gonna be fine”

After  “24k Casket” and “Shadow”, Amigo The Devil finishes with “Letter From Death Row”. It is a sweet ditty that also has that infernal subject matter. The soft and delicate folk feel transcends yet it features the last thoughts of a person soon to walk his/hers last mile. A fitting end to a edgy and dynamic piece of art.

Amigo The Devil uses his music and words to expose the despondency in the world today. His music allows his listeners to attach their emotions to his lyrics and use them for their catharsis value. He relates to the dejected, the utterly depressed and discouraged. They finally feel that someone knows their trials and tribulations and their sorrowfully low sense of worth. Amigo The Devil is a definitive artist that consumes his listeners hopelessness and turns it into an affirmative and healing force. That is why he is incredibly loved by his adoring fans.

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To learn more about Amigo The Devil, check out his Website

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Stream music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud

Purchase:  Bandcamp / Amazon 

 

 

 

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