Djevara - 'God is White' (Genin) Released 02/02/04

Fresh onto the scene come Djevara with their debut album, God is White. By no means are they to be dubbed ‘just another UK band to add to the pile of never ending demos,’ instead they are to be picked up and listened to. Claiming to be descended from the great UK punk tradition is something a number of UK bands currently hold on to. However, they generally fall flat on their faces at the first hurdle, and instead of churning out thought provoking emotive lyrics that go against the grain of the media and the government, the sing about teenage angst and lost love. Each of which are sources of influence, but they hardly constitute what punk represents, to a great many people. Djevara on the other hand, have taken the term ‘punk’ and brought it forward into the 21st century and combined it with the ethnic diversity from within the band to create a sound that it is clearly all there’s.

The album ‘God is White’ brings their sound to the forefront with pride, emotive, uplifting and perhaps a little controversial at times. In some respects their lyrics say all the things that so many of us are scared to say and for that they are to be commended. The title track ‘God is White’ ends with a simple ‘Amen’ but perhaps the most prolific line of the entire song is ‘One rule for them - and another for us’ which is certainly how a great many people feel within society. They are clearly against labels, and the fact that on.phpect of society is constantly judging another for being in different.

Put simply this is a fantastic album and Djevara are a fantastic band, with, hopefully, a long and successful future ahead of them.