Devin Townsend is an artist who truly never fails, as everything he's done is at least very good (if not great or extraordinary). Even when his output is relatively familiar and safe, it's still quite rewarding because of how inspirational, adventurous, and delightfully characteristic it is. Such was the case with 2022's Lightwork – which had the misfortune of following his all-encompassing artistic masterpiece, 2019's Empath – and now the same is true for 2024's PowerNerd. That said, it's arguably superior (yet largely similar) to Lightwork, delivering another remarkably moving and exploratory collection that packs few surprises but plenty of heart and entertainment.
Naturally, some musicians from Lightwork appear here, too, including drummer Darby Todd, keyboardist Deigo Tejeida, and guitarist Mike Keneally; plus, Townsend is joined by bassist Jean Savoie and vocalists Tanya Ghosh, Jamey Jasta, and Aman Khosla. According to Townsend, PowerNerd was "written with a very clear intent" of going against his usual tendency of being too analytical/critical and meticulous with his work. He explains:
"I feel that I typically have been — and it's not always been a bad thing — but I tend to overthink things a lot. And I get really complicated with things that sometimes… at least right now I felt like that wasn't what I wanted to do, so I gave myself parameters for PowerNerd. I gave myself twelve days to write it, and 1 day to rehearse it. Darby Todd came in from the UK and then two and a half days to track drums, bass and guitar. And if it was to not work it would have been a colossal failure. But I'm happy to say it's exceptionally heavy, and exceptionally cool."
Elsewhere, he adds that forcing himself to be markedly carefree yet rigid regarding his creativity and productivity, allowed him to "have the opportunity to be a bit more direct with what it is that [he's] trying to do" and "cut through some of the meandering." To his credit, PowerNerd is a concise and focused ride that embodies (but doesn't significantly alter or reinvigorate) Townsend's one-of-a-kind brilliance.
For instance, the opening title track mixes trademark Townsend encouragements and eccentricities. Specifically, its hyperactive pace, raucous attitude, sing-along hooks, and orchestral production are paired with inspirational lyrics such as "All these things we say to ourselves / Time to rise / Put that shit on the shelf / All those years spent down in a hole / Time for life and rock and roll!" Given that he defines a "powernerd" as "a total fucking badass" who "through tenacity and perseverance, turned what society may deem as a ‘weakness' into a superpower," it surely does justice to its namesake, and it's a triumphant way to being in multiple ways.
From there, the LP bounces around recognizable templates with plenty of panache and passion. Namely, there's the Terria-esque symphonic fury and introspective gentleness of "Falling Apart"; the Sky Blue-esque shimmering empowerments of "Glacier" and "Gratitude"; the Synchestra-esque danceable flamboyances of "Ruby Quaker"; the Ghost-esque ambient peacefulness of "Dreams of Light"; and the Transcendence-esque cosmic catharsis of "Jainism."
Of course, all these comparisons are meant as positive observations rather than major criticisms. Honestly, the fact that Townsend can evoke so many aspects of his prior work while still offering substantial intrigue and satisfaction is a testament to his diversity, confidence, and originality. In other words, PowerNerd undeniably recalls some of its predecessors, but considering that Townsend's discography is extremely varied yet wonderfully singular, those parallels rarely get in the way of what he's trying to accomplish. (Okay, okay, "Glacier" does resemble "Before We Die" a tad too much.)
It's also worth noting that PowerNerd contains a handful of Townsend's most charmingly amusing moments in quite some time, including declarations of "I love petting the cat," "I've got big balls," and "Coffee, coffee, I love that coffee" during "PowerNerd," "Knuckledragger," and "Ruby Quaker," respectively. These bits prove that Townsend remains totally capable of making listeners laugh at goofy humor in-between his deeply gratifying dives into existentialism and life affirmation. (After all, it's the seriousness and the silliness of life that makes it worth living, right?)
Like Lightwork before it, PowerNerd somewhat repeats prior Townsend techniques and messages; however, its echoes of past records are rarely problematic because the material is so damn engaging and endearing. Without a doubt, Townsend still gets tons of mileage out of the uniquely philosophical and musical worlds he's crafted, making PowerNerd another superbly entertaining and intellectually, emotionally fulfilling addition to his catalog.
