Trespassing Taxi Driver

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Adam finally tweeted out something we'd all been so curious about up until now - the album cover for Trespassing. Perhaps in the days of downloads, covers aren't as important as they used to be but after all the controversy surrounding the FYE cover, this was an important one to get right to set the tone for the next era. This is another Lee Cherry creation at his consistently high standard:

As you can tell from the title, one of the first things that sprang to mind as I saw it for the first time was New York taxis. It's the bright yellow tone and the way Adam's name is perched on top of the title like a taxi roof sign. But the yellow hazard stripes, eroded typeface, its slant and the way it's angled also have that connection with cars, recalling movie posters such as Gone in 60 Seconds, Fast and Furious and other films of that ilk. It evokes a feeling of speed and danger.

Then we get to Adam's low saturation image, where I'm glad to see hair at his sides, little makeup, collar up, looking effortlessly cool. His complexion is intentionally pitted rather than smoothed out and his face has an intense expression, like he's daring you and if you wait a split second longer it'll turn into one of rebellious mischief making. The way the text sits below Adam's face makes it look like he could be holding one of those mugshot boards, in keeping with the outlaw theme. It's a little bit raw, urban, edgy but also undeniably cinematic, like it's about to burst into an exciting movie trailer.

Only one thing left to say, and that's to strap yourselves in because he's taking the wheel for one heck of a thrilling ride, after which I'm sure we'll all be hailing him.