Maneka – Devin LP Exploding In Sound Records

Maneka is the musical project of Devin McKnight. A familiar presence in music circles for much of the past decade, McKnight has made appearances in projects like Grass Is Green and most prominently as the guitarist in Speedy Ortiz, with his lead parts underpinning their 2015 breakthrough Foil Deer. He amicably left Speedy Ortiz in 2017 with the intention of developing his own voice as a songwriter, and quickly released his first EP under the Maneka name which was praised by publications like Billboard, Stereogum and DIY. Now McKnight is releasing his debut full length as Maneka, an album entitled Devin, a deeply personal release that encapsulate the musical experience of one of the more distinct and multifaceted performers currently making guitar music. The album, which nods to genres as varied as grindcore, jazz, shoegaze, hip hop, new wave and post-punk, is a celebration of McKnights identity as a musician and a person. Thematically the album digs deep into the corresponding territory of McKnights experience as a musician and a person of color in America, exploring a perspective that is rarely represented in indie rock. His embrace of this thematic direction is reflective of the lessons learned over the course of his career so far. The results are consistently engaging, and surprising. The album is an incredibly personal document that succeeds in communicating, with depth, clarity, humor and emotional directness, the experiences that make Devin McKnight who he is.