janet devlin questions human connection with new single 'honest men'
By Mackenzie Wagner
On Jan. 10, Janet Devlin released her single “Honest Men” from her upcoming album Confessional. “Honest Men,” featuring a looming, stripped-back piano and stunning vocals, is the third single off the album that comes out May 1 and follows the songs “Confessional” and “Saint of the Sinners.”
Through her lyrics on “Honest Men,” the singer-songwriter expresses that she has experienced a lack of honest communication, which stems from the nature of modern society. The “men” mentioned in this song are not specifically men, but the human race in general. The song questions if genuine human connection exists and why people lack a sense of sincerity. Devlin wrote this song entirely by herself and the lyrics are raw, honest, and reflective.
Daunting piano tones accompany Devlin’s lyrics, questioning her experiences in finding authentic human connections. She starts her song by singing, “Where have all the honest men gone?”. One may interpret these lyrics as Devlin’s expression of anger towards men in romantic relationships, but in a recent audio commentary video she posted on YouTube, she claims that is not what she was aiming to express. The lyric “My soul wasn’t enough” shares the idea that a genuine connection is not enough anymore; people need to feel like they are receiving something from an interaction. She sings, “They take what they can get, then gone in another breath” to convey her experiences of people forcing connections and leaving immediately after they get what they want. This seems to be a common theme in communication and forming relationships at this time.
Devlin does an admirable job of conveying those emotions that so many people feel. The quality of vocals and enchanting piano create a powerful anti-ballad that listeners will both relate to and enjoy listening to. “Honest Men” will have fans and listeners anxiously waiting for Devlin’s highly-anticipated sophomore album Confessional, which will be available on streaming platforms May 1.