Had they released more than a handful of singles and/or had I the opportunity to see them live, The Deviators would have probably been amongst the most coveted bands in my 1990s small of fame, but alas, what can you do?
Brooklyn's "fab four" (ok, bit of a stretch there) unleashed three 7" s on a rather ignorant public in the early '90s, two of which are extolled upon in this write-up. The Deviators recipe was pretty straightforward - mid-tempo punk with pop underpinnings, topped off with an unmistakable garage rock disposition. And class, boy did these guys have class. They could have even taught the sauve-faire Hives a thing or two.
The Falling Away triple shot, is the superior of the two disks. The a-side, as punchy and melodic as it is, is outdone by the melodic, propulsive thrust of "Just Another Story," reminiscent of what contemporaries Moral Crux were achieving with equally fine results.
Another three-song "ep," Century 21 actually predates "Falling Away" by a couple of years and the difference is quite evident. The title cut is Clash-y as-all-get-out, hearkening back to The Clash and Give Em Enough Rope to say the very least. The Ramones-y b-sides are fun and well executed, just not revelatory.
Although seeing the Deviators live in the flesh just wasn't in the cards for yours truly, I did speak to guitarist/vocalist Pablo Medina a few times in the mid-90s, and by jove, you couldn't find a nicer bloke. Should anyone know how I might be able to score a copy of the Deviators "Seeing Double" 7" please get in touch. Enjoy.
Falling Away (eMpTy Records 1993)
01. Falling Away
02. Just Another Story
03. Spotlight
Century 21 (Skene 1990)
04. Century 21
05. Let It Go
06. Hiding