First Listen: DeVotchKa, '100 Lovers'

Enlarge Courtesy of ANTI- Records

DeVotchKa's fifth studio album, 100 Lovers, will be released in the U.S. on March 1.

Courtesy of ANTI- Records

DeVotchKa's fifth studio album, 100 Lovers, will be released in the U.S. on March 1.

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DeVotchKa's new album, 100 Lovers, opens with the intensity and melancholy that tore my heart up when I first heard the band's early records. Its sound remains totally original and truly the band's own — the flavors of Eastern Europe, dusty desert roads, Mexico and flamenco. Moody and triumphant at the same time, the sound is totally organic, with real strings, real brass, real percussion and real handclaps. And, in our culture of bedroom albums, this one stands out sonically.

I first worked with DeVotchKa when the band's music became the score for the film Little Miss Sunshine, for which I served as music supervisor. The directors, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, were captivated by the cinematic sounds of the album How It Ends, and together we conceived of the band creating more than just a song for the movie, but creating the whole sound and score. DeVotchKa's combination of sadness, dust and triumph fit perfectly with the film family's journey, both literally and figuratively. Dayton and Faris went on to direct a series of promos for the NBA playoffs and, again, DeVotchKa's music fit the intensity of the promo spot.

DeVotchKa is a band that moves slowly: It took a year to craft this album. I think that's what makes 100 Lovers special — it's like my mom's chili, simmering for hours and hours and getting better as it cooks slowly over the fire. This album is the sound of a band that continues to grow in its unique way — it's an emotional and mesmerizing listen.

DeVotchKa's 100 Lovers will stream here in its entirety until its release on March 1. Please leave your thoughts on the album in the comments section below.