Top tracks — play these first
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How It Ends — The title track encapsulates the album's themes of existential reflection and emotional vulnerability, showcasing the band's orchestral arrangements alongside poignant lyrics.
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Dearly Departed — This track stands out with its haunting melody and lyrical exploration of loss and longing, reflecting the album's overall melancholic tone.
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Charlotte Mittnacht (The Fabulous Destiny of…) — With its whimsical narrative and playful instrumentation, this song exemplifies DeVotchKa's ability to merge storytelling with diverse musical styles.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album blends diverse influences into a cohesive sound while maintaining strong lyrical themes.
What we noticed
- The album features a wide range of instrumentation, including strings, brass, and traditional folk instruments, creating a layered soundscape.
- Several tracks incorporate tempo shifts, with moments of frenetic energy followed by slower, more introspective sections.
- The lyrics often explore themes of love and loss, with a poetic style that complements the music's emotional weight.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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7/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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8/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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6/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- hauntingly beautiful sonic journeys
- rich orchestration with dynamic shifts
- intimate moments of quiet reflection
- emotional crescendos that linger
- vivid storytelling through diverse soundscapes
Maybe skip if you
- prefer upbeat, fast-paced albums
- want straightforward structures
Where this album fits
- Career context
- How It Ends is DeVotchKa's second studio album, released after their 2003 debut, Supermelodrama. At this point in their career, the band was beginning to establish their unique sound that would later resonate widely within indie circles, laying the groundwork for future acclaim.
- Stylistic neighbors
- The Lumineers· Sufjan Stevens· Iron & Wine
Moments worth listening for
Where the writing does something specific.
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How It Ends
The final verse shifts from introspection to a broader commentary on life’s fleeting nature.
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 You Love Me 4:02
- 2 The Enemy Guns 4:21
- 3 No One Is Watching 0:25
- 4 Twenty-Six Temptations 4:12
- 5 How It Ends 6:59
- 6 Charlotte Mittnacht (The Fabulous Destiny of…) 3:06
- 7 We’re Leaving 4:42
- 8 Dearly Departed 5:12
- 9 Such a Lovely Thing 4:40
- 10 Too Tired 4:00
- 11 Viens Avec Moi 5:01
- 12 This Place Is Haunted 3:19
- 13 Lunnaya Pogonka 5:18
- 14 Reprise 1:45
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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