Dev Ray is the solo project from California native Devin Ratliff, former member of dream-punk bands So Many Wizards and Tomemitsu. Exploring the intersection of understated 90s Chicago indie, lo-fi, and the wide-screen melancholy of Thatcher-era alternative pop, Dev Ray’s debut 2017 single was a moody, synth-drenched take on The Pointer Sisters’ 1982 soul classic, “I’m So Excited”.

“Can’t Hide”, Dev Ray’s debut single for Dangerbird Records, is a spirited piece of uptempo indie pop brilliance that showcases Dev’s musical aptitude with a finely-honed balance of ghostly vocal melodies, articulate guitar lines, and sparkling synth arpeggios. These elements coalesce over a driving rhythm section to form an undeniable earworm that demands repeated listening and will not leave your head for weeks afterwards. Dev’s accompanying single “Palaces” is more of a subterranean creeper that retains his tuneful sensibilities but slows them down into a drowsier arrangement submerged in eerie layers of organ and distorted vocal harmonies.