Deanna Devore – Seven Eight

As a music-nerd I need to preface this review by saying that “Seven Eight” by Deanna Devore is actually in ⅞ time. The reason I mention this, is that while other songs might hide their most unique element, Deanna Devore puts this front & center and it makes all the difference. This is a song about being haunted and the lost eighth becomes a tangible loss. Seven Eight (both the song and the time signature) always feels a little off and the effect is perfectly disquieting. It’s frantic, each line an eighth note too short, so the beautiful vocal lines come at you in a whirlwind. It contrast the sparser instrumental sections where it almost feels like, in the space created, everything is back to normal, before we dive back into verses.

“Seven Eight” is a clever exploration into the relationship between strong production/songwriting and the effect time signatures can have on a listener.