Grieving Expectation is the Devon Kay & The Solution’s fourth studio album and their debut on Pure Noise Records. You can listen to this record wherever you stream music.
Grieving is a complicated human emotion that Mustard has yet to fully experience. While they are sad when their condiment comrades are bought by a human for consumption or for an art piece, they understand. It is inevitable. This they have come to understood. Devon Kay makes a point on the first track, “The Optimist” that “although your dreams are permanent your skin and flesh are anything but.” Nothing is guaranteed, but despite this, as Kay elaborates further “you don’t give up on winning. It just becomes less fitting.” Even though Mustard is not a human they believe that optimism is common amongst some, but not all. Especially in our current climate.
Our dreams are permanent and continue on the next track “The Space In-Between.” Kay lets us know that they don’t like their life unless it is being spent with you. Mustard feels this way about Honey Mustard. Honey Mustard taught me about empathy, kindness, and being the best condiment I can possibly be. With that said, it is important, to give that person or condiment space to breathe so the relationship and foundation stays in place. Mustard enjoys Kay’s voice and is reminded Bo Burnham to an extent.
“Parchment & Petroleum” continues the motif of dreams. Because as we learned, they are permanent. Mustard wonders though, is Kay speaking to someone else or themselves? This continues on the next track, “Until The Wheels Fall Off.” when Kay asks “will you be tired of my bullshit when I come visit your grave?” The relationship threaded throughout this album is clearly complicated, layered, and adds further depth to the record. Devon asks on the next track “Liver” – “If death is so wonderful then why bother with life too?“ This is a heavy question that a condiment such as myself has a hard time understanding. They hope to comprehend this more as they learn more about humans.
Devon Kay and The Solutions sample Men Without Hat’s “The Safety Dance” in the next track “S.A.F.E.T.Y.” and make a statement: “Everything’d be cool if we were more empathic, fact driven, thoughtful, open minded, less pathetic.” Unfortunately, in these times our division, this is not universal. Rather than listen and attempt to understand, fear and hate is used as a manipulation tool, to cause further divide. Because those in charge wish not to have an educated public as it would an educated public will disrupt the systems in place.
Feelings of not being enough continue on “No One is Thinking About You (or Anyone Else for that Matter)” by proclaiming that “the world doesn’t care about me. Or anyone else at all. I know the world will spin without me.” Once again, these are powerful human emotions that feel like a leech, slowly sucking away the optimism and worth away from them. If Mustard ever shape shifts into a human, like they wish too, these feelings will probably consume me as well.
Optimism though is not completely gone as in “Oh My, Oh My, We’re Far Past That Now” as Devon confesses “Now that you mention it. I wish it was a hope, a dream a thing I’d see when I shut my eyes.” Unfortunately though, it is not a dream and that infection within the mind does not perish or heal.
The final three tracks close out the story with our narrator letting us know, much like in the beginning, that they wish to grow old with you. Despite all the negative feelings, and as tough as it may be to overcome them, as long as you are there, it is worth fighting and battling those insecurities and demons.
Mustard loved this album. It is cohesive and tells a story that humans can relate too. This album was recommended to Mustard by Twitter user eggplant parm respecter.
Grieving Expectations gets 5/5 condiment bottles.
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