SIX-STRINGED HOMESPUN PASSION
September 2005
ADOLF - GOOD BIRD TAKES
Even before getting round to listening to any one of
Adolf’s home recordings, taking in the art (his own work) and attention
to detail that comes with the packaging is a pleasure in itself. That he
dedicates so much time to this is probably down to the fact that his
home recordings aren’t quite intended for mass distribution. Instead, he
usually only gives out a few copies to a select few who (he feels) will
appreciate the intimacy and true worth of the songs. In a sense, owning
a copy of is like sharing an intimate secret with the artist, but with
the added advantage of being allowed to share it with others!
His preference for the finger-picking method as opposed to strumming –
although he does employ both methods in his music – and a brittle vocal
delivery often gives Adolf’s music a naked, vulnerable ambience,
especially since, more often than not, he draws inspiration from very
personal issues. With this in mind, then, his most recent collection,
Good Bird Takes, is something of a revelation...
Prolific as ever, the young singer/songwriter’s latest, over a year from
his last album Flores and a few months on from compiling a mini-CD of
re-recorded older tracks plus 2 new songs, is a thirty minute album of
warm, soothing acoustic tunes. The most striking aspect of the record is
the totally different vocal style. Far smoother and subtle, it is as
much a product of home-cooked (and basic) recording experimentation as
it is of a newfound fondness for open melodies. Frankly it has
transformed his music entirely (for the better), instilling a sense of
emotion and warmth that is closer to the surface and easier for the
listener to relate to.
The change may also have been a by-product of his side-project with Alex
Vella Gera of
Hunters Palace. Their work as Treeears (including the sublime Is
This The End, featured here) bears a lot of the love for gentle
harmonies on
Hunter's Palace’s second album, and that collaboration may well have
triggered Adolf’s sense of melody into full swing. Further to this, the
fact that Adolf is not relying as much on solely personal issues for
inspiration (he also covers Dylan’s For Ramona here) gives the songs a
broader sense and appeal, which, at a time when acoustic song writing is
finally getting the respect it deserves, makes Good Bird Takes all the
more significant for both the artist and the local scene!
Recommended weblink: tbc
