Chris Devotion and The Expectations

A quickfire sprint through Woody Guthrie’s ‘Ain’t Got No Home’ and the occasional nod to classic 50's balladry (albeit via Richard Hawley) are the only concessions these Glaswegians make to Americana on this, their debut. But that’s not to say its review here is unwarranted: those with a fondness for guitar crunch and an affinity with the middle-finger solution to dimestore heartbreak will have their buttons pushed readily time and again on this superb album.

Suckerpunched by the crooning opening to ‘A Modest Refusal’, tracks one to four fly by in short order, referencing the finest bamalama punk-pop from The Ramones (80s vintage) to The Undertones and Buzzcocks, while ‘Blister’ and ‘Our Mistake’ suggest The Replacements, Dinosaur Jr and Buffalo Tom at their most lovelorn and melodic.

‘Eyes Open Now’ provides the briefest of acoustic interludes, quickly followed by the standout bubblegum singalong ‘The Girl Is Leaving’, one of many tracks here marking young Mr Devotion out as a frighteningly good new kitchen-sink songwriting talent. A brilliant debut.

- Americana UK

Encounter Amalgamation & Capital anonymously and you might presume it a greatest hits rather than a debut, its no-nonsense new-wave suggesting a lost genre classic from a contemporary of Elvis Costello – a Jags, or an Any Trouble perhaps, with extra punk crunch in some of its more straight-up rock n roll numbers. It’s packed to the gills with big hooks and boundless charm, Devotion’s song-writing so expertly lean that the occasional non-starter is easily overlooked.

Highlights include I Don’t Need You Anymore, an old-fashioned pop hit in all but sales and timing; Blister’s robust yet radio-friendly riffing; and closer Better than This, sounding positively epic after so much bubblegum. Needless to say, Devotion and his Expectations are not exactly reinventing the wheel, but nor are they attempting to; instead, they’ve elected to rev it into a rubber-shredding spin, sparks flying from every boldly-struck power chord and cheeky lyrical bon mot. - The Skinny

“Imagine The Ramones, Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen and The Replacements having a punch-up”-Vic Galloway - BBC RADIO SCOTLAND

Amalgamation and Capital is the first release from the Glasgow four-piece and offers an exceptional take on the “low-fat” rock, and indeed roll, pioneered in the mid 70s. Don’t expect duelling guitar solos or songs in 13/4 timing, instead look forward to hard, fast and immediate garage rawk. Picture the coolest rock and roll image you can, and this is the soundtrack. Me? I’m going for Frank Black eating a burger while driving Springsteen’s Cadillac. - Scottish Television

Review in the Daily Record tabloid newspaper 16th Sept 2011:

Chris Devotion and The Expectations- A Modest Refusal/Tell The Girl

With Glasvegas’s future unsure after a dodgy second album, thank God for CD/EX to keep Glasgow’s hopes of Scotland’s first U2-sized band alive and kicking.

A Modest Refusal begins like a wonky Orange Juice song all strummed guitars and Elvis voice, before turning it up to 11 with a mosh-loving guitar ripping into your consciousness.

Tell The Girl is New Wave gold a 1978 blend of The Undertones and Buzzcocks

A heady mix of garage rock and rockabilly, CD/EX just get better and better.

Please buy this single and make them Scotland’s biggest new band
- Daily Record