ADAMS is coming to the Netherlands on April the 24th. What better way is there to get a taste of what is to come than a cd review? Unfortunately I won’t be able to attend the concert, but being able to write this review is a great experience in itself. Why you ask? Because ADAMS really delivers on their new album. Not only are they a strong musical duo, their album cover also looks fantastic. The photography is done by Ryota Sakai and she has created a piece of art akin to pieces that you may find in an art gallery.
Let’s begin with the tracklist:
1. _69_
2. GALAXY
3. せせらぎ
4. HEAVEN
5. White caress
6. Carry
7. Masquerade
8. R-ED
9. Bittersweet
10. Maria
11. ボクノセイ
12. YOAKEMAE
The first track is named _69_ and this is the intro song of the album. This intro gives the listener the atmosphere and vibes of dance music. Half-way into the track layers of drums and vocals are added. A short and elegant track that gets you right into the mood of the album.
The second track is known as GALAXY. Right from the start you are met with a powerful and energetic sound. The double vocals and satisfying guitar riff really immerse you into the track to the point where you will be bobbing your head to the beat. Aside from the solid guitar play and the stellar drum performance you will be met with a wide range of synth sound effects that gives the track, as suggested by the name, an outer space vibe. Altogether this is a very enjoyable dance track that will make you want to jump up and break out your best moves.
The third song is listed as せせらぎ. The track begins with a deep bassline and piano play which provides a surprising contrast compared to the previous song. After a few seconds intricate guitar play is added which completely changes the mood. The track progresses from a slow paced, almost romantic, song to an intensifying piece that quickly picks up in pace. The vocals follow the same pattern, the first verse is very calm but as the song progresses the vocals pick up in pace and intensify in tone. I have thoroughly enjoyed this track.
The fourth track is HEAVEN. The first thing that I noticed in this song are the many layers of backvocals present in the first verse of this track. From the second verse until the last the double main vocals become the prominent piece and seem to intertwine together almost like an intensifying conversation. As this intensifies one vocal is screaming while the other calmer vocal is layered above it. Both vocals are unique as one sounds very smooth and clean while the other sounds more raw and grungy. The track is interwoven with piano and harp play which gives it a very dream-like atmosphere.
Song number five on the album is named White Caress. Listening to this track gives you a big sense of contrast compared to the previous four songs. ADAMS are bringing a real authentic rock vibe with this track, providing ample amounts of guitar, bass and drum sounds. The sparse synth sounds within this track are cleverly concealed among the unrefined instrumentals to provide extra detail without becoming too noticeable. The vocals and instrumentals are brought into harmony providing an enjoyable and laid back sound.
Carry is the name of the sixth track of this album. The track begins with a calm melody which is followed up with a robust guitar rhythm after the first verse. As the song goes on the guitar play as well as the upbeat atmosphere intensifies, which is also reflected in the vocals. The song often changes back and forth in both rhythm and intensity which makes it very catchy. A pleasant surprise is the detailed chime melody that can be heard throughout the track which really makes the song extra catchy and stand out from the other songs.
The seventh song is named Masquerade. A huge shift of mood is felt right from the start when compared to the previous songs. The song starts with a very gloomy and downbeat intro, which is then followed up by a moment of clarity and upbeat sound which completely changes the sound. The song keeps switching between these two thematics forming a stark contrast to each other like the contrast between a mask and the person behind it. Later on in the song a female backvocal is heard rehearsing French text, putting extra emphasis on the theme of the song and it’s French title.
Then came the eight track, named R-ED. This is my absolute favourite song of the entire album, featuring very enjoyable grungy guitar play and heavy drum play. The main vocal is both intense and very clear in tone, making the entire song feel very solid and straightforward. This is an incredible and very strong track with little extra fluff that stole my heart with its up-front, barefaced attitude.
Bittersweet is the name of track number nine. This is an enjoyable track with both dance synths and grungy guitar play, giving a very up-tempo rock vibe. The longer you listen to the track, the more you feel the bittersweet undertone of the song. This is mainly achieved through the strong vocals which the singer is pouring out of his heart and overflowing with emotion. It is quite a challenge to stay calm during this exciting track.
The tenth song is named MARIA. This song progresses slowly with at first only rhythmic guitar play, but one by one extra layers of vocals and then beats are added. This is an uneasy piece that feels hard to classify, but it works in a very nice way. With an entrancing beauty. This is partly achieved by the careful layering of different sounds, distortion and filters that are placed over the vocals. The second vocal adds another layer of depth to the song with very emotional and clean sounds.
The second to last song is called ボクノセイ. This a very calm and harmonious song. The acoustic guitar creates an almost enchanting mood, which is supported by the very smooth and fluent vocals. The vocals are alternated between a soft, muffled sound and a very clean sound that both feel calming. The song slowly builds up a magical atmosphere that gives you a very mellow feeling letting you easily dream away.
Unfortunately this is already the last song of this album. This song is named YOAKEMAE. A very exciting and lively track that forms the perfect finisher of this album. A symphony of guitars, violins and drums create this very high tempo and joyful song. This song lets you look back at the rest of the album with a huge smile as this is truly a happy end of this musical journey. This song will surely make you want to get up to dance and sing along. An excellent end to a very enjoyable and diverse album.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this album even though I am not used to this kind of music. I will certainly listen to this album more often. Alongside unadulterated dance songs you will enjoy the satisfying and powerful rock tracks. The vocals are delightful, clean, robust and attractive. I can recommend this album to anyone because it has something for everybody to enjoy.
In Europe the album has already been released since the 14th of March 2014. In Japan the album will be released the 9th of June. Furthermore the album can be bought at ADAMS 2 Eves and in the Râmen Events & HIGHFeeL webshop for the price of €20,-.
