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Adem, "Love and Other Planets"
If the opening lyrics to this Fridge member's latest solo album aren't provocative enough, then the music will seduce anyone that listens to it immediately. Adem has crafted an elegant, feathery-soft record full of soaring melodies and intricate arrangements. It all sounds so natural that it's hard to believe he didn't just breathe this record into existence.
Domino
"Warning Call" opens Love and Other Planets with the softest of bangs; it's a song that got my attention by building a subtle, gentle intensity. The lyrics are compelling, setting an interstellar backdrop that dominates the rest of the record and reveals itself in the eye-catching and clever artwork. "If they found a tube in outer space / And no-one knew who put it there. / If they looked inside and / Found out they'd lived lonely lives / Followed by a lonesome death / They sent it hoping we'd learn / They blew it here with their final breath / They made a list of their mistakes- / It looked a lot like ours. / If it happened, do you think we'd learn?" The whole of the song is an open question that ends in a plea: let's not screw up any more than we have. In brings the whole of the human condition sharply into focus; the rest of the album proceeds to build hope and weave joy out of strands of sound.
The songs are acoustic, dominated by guitars, ringing bells, and perfectly played percussion that drifts ever so suitably with the easy strumming and resonant melodies. Strings vibrate warmly in the mix and ease their way through Adem's voice, other instruments taking their turn playing off each other's textures and rhythms. A song like "You and Moon" might seem simple on the surface, but repeated listens reveal a whole world of tiny interactions that dance about in just the right way, working together to form a whole that's just as interesting as the parts. Despite all this flowery talk, these songs aren't merely indirect, gentle musings on topics like love, loss, and the seeming insignificance of human history in the face of the universe. The album features hushed sound collages full of reversed guitars, rumbling effects, pulsing drum machines, and bells as well as pieces with more upbeat performances that rock more than they float.
Every song on this album deserves mention, but I think it's more important that I make it clear this album feels like a complete collection of songs meant to be together. Between the songs, the album art, and the lyrical focus Adem has chosen, Love and Other Planets exerts itself as work complete unto itself, without need for anything extra or for any edits. On top of that, it's an introspective record that will be familiar to everyone that hears it. Adem can only write from his perspective, but what he has to say is something everyone will identify with and appreciate. It's appropriate, in some ways, that a personal record like this one is equally universal, not just because Adem's chosen astronomical metaphors, but also because he took the time and had the patience to craft his songs in such a way that they reflect the light of the universe and the light some people believe they have in themselves. It sounds cheesy, I know, but listeners will understand once the record starts playing.
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