I'd been waiting on this set of performances for ages, hoping that Sirius XM would post them on their channel but they still haven't appeared. Right now we only have the audio captured by @ScorpioBert. This set was performed back in February at the studio's Fishbowl for The Morning Jolt with Larry Flick.
The set starts with WWFM, the arrangement sounds lovely, especially the piano. Adam uses some new runs during his belts which sound fantastic. Trespassing sounds great with a beat, especially with that slightly electronic bass. There are some vocal tricks and lots of variations from the usual acoustic versions. OOL starts with a piano, something I'd hoped to hear since the debut. Other instruments are gradually introduced. It's a powerful and stirring rendition that has a different ending as he chooses to wail through rather than sing it. I realise it's been a while since we last heard BTIKM, even longer since Kevin's backing vocals but I realise I have missed it. Fever is jazzy, fun and free-flowing with brilliant vocals. The last song is Purple Haze, and it's the first time I've heard him do an acoustic version. His voice sounds rich and strong, ending with a riff from Trespassing.
Showing posts with label Fever. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fever. Show all posts
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Monday, 7 May 2012
Radio Promo Picks
This is long overdue but I still think it's a necessary post. Adam's radio gigs went by in a bit of blur and it was hard work staying on top of it all. But I have managed to watch and sort everything now, so here's a playlist of my recommendations:
I hope you'll find these highlights easily digestible, useful for catching up with, and finding for future reference. I tried my best to narrow down my favourite highlights but obviously picking one of each song was impossible. So we have the following:
BTIKM
B96 Chicago - Not the best quality, no tricks, but it's like looking in on a private moment. Very intimate and raw.
94.5 PST Princeton - I chose this for the sweet fluttery warbling near the end.
106.1 Kiss FM Seattle - Excellent quality, beautiful tone and different set of notes to finish.
OOL
Kidd Kraddick Dallas - The guitar isn't great but the quality is and Adam's emotive voice is wonderful.
WWFM
Q100 Atlanta Bert Show - The video is beautifully shot and Adam's rich voice is perfection.
99.7 The Point Kansas - There's a big note wow moment and Adam plays around with the melody in a new way.
Mix 106.5 San Jose - Adam sings a very different-sounding bridge that hasn't been done before.
Fever
Mix 104.1 Boston - This was only Fever I'm aware of, lots of freestyling and so much fun.
Trespassing
93.9 Lite FM Chicago - Foot-stomping fun as Adam's voice soars towards the end.
Mix 93.3 Kansas - This version is unexpectedly extended and Adam fills it with excellent improv.
104.3 MY FM LA - This is the only version with a drum, giving a different vibe. The sound is great though a bit out of synch.
Cuckoo
105.1 The Buzz Portland - Adam is brilliant in voice, doing plenty of riffing on this fun theatrical version.
Energy 103.7 San Diego - Lots of cheeky attitude as Adam dances in his seat and claps in this mic-less version.
NCOE
Star 101.3 San Francisco - Some magnificent powerful glory notes in this.
Live 95.5 Bing Lounge Portland - The vocals are majestic and the quality is excellent.
I hope you'll find these highlights easily digestible, useful for catching up with, and finding for future reference. I tried my best to narrow down my favourite highlights but obviously picking one of each song was impossible. So we have the following:
BTIKM
B96 Chicago - Not the best quality, no tricks, but it's like looking in on a private moment. Very intimate and raw.
94.5 PST Princeton - I chose this for the sweet fluttery warbling near the end.
106.1 Kiss FM Seattle - Excellent quality, beautiful tone and different set of notes to finish.
OOL
Kidd Kraddick Dallas - The guitar isn't great but the quality is and Adam's emotive voice is wonderful.
WWFM
Q100 Atlanta Bert Show - The video is beautifully shot and Adam's rich voice is perfection.
99.7 The Point Kansas - There's a big note wow moment and Adam plays around with the melody in a new way.
Mix 106.5 San Jose - Adam sings a very different-sounding bridge that hasn't been done before.
Fever
Mix 104.1 Boston - This was only Fever I'm aware of, lots of freestyling and so much fun.
Trespassing
93.9 Lite FM Chicago - Foot-stomping fun as Adam's voice soars towards the end.
Mix 93.3 Kansas - This version is unexpectedly extended and Adam fills it with excellent improv.
104.3 MY FM LA - This is the only version with a drum, giving a different vibe. The sound is great though a bit out of synch.
Cuckoo
105.1 The Buzz Portland - Adam is brilliant in voice, doing plenty of riffing on this fun theatrical version.
Energy 103.7 San Diego - Lots of cheeky attitude as Adam dances in his seat and claps in this mic-less version.
NCOE
Star 101.3 San Francisco - Some magnificent powerful glory notes in this.
Live 95.5 Bing Lounge Portland - The vocals are majestic and the quality is excellent.
Monday, 23 April 2012
Promo Rounds Atlanta-Nashville-DC-Hartford-Boston
Here's the next set of videos from the radio promo rounds covering Atlanta to Boston, and my brief notes below:
Q100 The Bert Show
BTIKM - This was performed live on air in studio and is a lovely quality recording. Adam has a falsetto crescendo as opposed to belt.
WWFM - We can hear Adam's delightful breathy voice here and I'm liking the low "Just keep coming around".
Star 94 FM
BTIKM - Adam performs this one in front of a live audience with a pretty floaty, grainy voice and low improvisations.
WWFM - This has a beautiful powerful finish.
Q100 Jezebel magazine launch party
It's great to see Adam back in a suit again, I've missed it. The resemblance to Elvis is more than passing with half-down hair. Adam performs with his whole band fully plugged in.
FYE - The drums are very loud on the recording and strangely Adams's not dancing to this rock rendition.
IIHY - Adam looks so formally dressed for this one, not dancing but with waggly leg.
Fever - Adam's wearing spray-on trousers with a weird pullover/bib type thing, which can be seen with the removal of his jacket. There's lots of hip action here, accentuated by his dangly belt accoutrement.
Cuckoo - This upbeat song features lots of strutty dancing. It has an element of funk but it's not picked up by the recording. It's quite hard to distinguish the bassline and the hook.
Chokehold - This sounds like soft rock with an epic big production feel that will draw comparisons with Sleepwalker. It has an interesting melody which I like, contrasting higher register soft vocals with a heavy beat. I can hear the guitar riffs in some other song whose name escapes me. Adam is very expressive but there's also some attitude in there which I love.
Trespassing - The songs has lots of tricky lyrics that are very easy to stumble upon. Even though the recording isn't very good, it's stompy and has a great vibe with Adam finally getting his groove on. He's a little flat in places but his vocals are bright and it's easy to see why this is the album's title track.
107.5 The River
From here on, there is a change in personnel as Tommy replaces Kevin on guitar for these acoustic radio performances. BTIKM - This is a much less bouncy, rather calm measured performance with pretty vocals and a soft ending.
WWFM - The guitar finally sounds right here. I guess it was Kevin's guitar that was unpleasant to my ears. I still don't know whether it was a rattly string or his playing. Adam's voice is velvety but hard and he requests for guitar to be turned up.
Radio 107.3 FM Gibson Guitar Showrooms
BTIKM - Strong and note perfect, it's just a pity that a pro recording hasn't been made available yet.
WWFM - Adam's voice is rich and full with a glorious belt and low variation on the last "Need a second to breathe".
Hot 99.5
BTIKM - Adam's voice is frustratingly quiet on the recording and Tommy seems to make a little mistake midway through. This version is well worth listening to as the climax is quite different.
WWFM - This is another that's well worth listening to. Again, Adam's voice is in the background on this recording but listen out for the change-ups on the first "Here we are", the lead-up to the bridge and right at the end. There's also a minor lyric fail in there.
94.7 Fresh FM
BTIKM - Adam's voice has much of that sweet floaty quality that leads to an almighty belt.
WWFM - Adam addresses the crowd as his babies in that part of the lyric. His voice here is just beautiful, full of that grainy timbre especially near the finish. His change in melody for the final "WWFM?" is just delightful.
KISS 95.7 / KC101.3 Dunkin' Donuts lounge
BTIKM - A strong consistent one from Adam. Tommy appears to make a mistake on the guitar and almost stops altogether but Adam does a fantastic job of trying to cover it up by singing through it with abundant power.
WWFM - Adam's voice sounds beautifully growly on one of the choruses. He appears to hit a bum note at one point, but proceeds to guide it into a pleasant melodic improv last heard at the 107.3 gig that he repeats later on.
KC 101.3
BTIKM (Studio audience) - This is a mic-less, tech-less unplugged performance where the lucky audience is able to appreciate the pure raw beauty of Adam's voice. Some nice riffs in there.
WWFM - This is quite a gentle version where Adam uses much more of his falsetto than usual, the melody seeming to hover around the tricky bridge between registers. He amps up the power towards the end though.
BTIKM (Live on air) - Adam stands up for this one and I wonder whether in a hectic schedule he's trying to conserve his voice just a touch. The high parts of the song get no powerbelt treatment and are all done in a pretty warbling falsetto with riffs that must be heard.
96.5 TIC FM
BTIKM - This one's a strong performance with the return of Adam's belting and a surprisingly gentle finish.
WWFM - There's a little variation on the "I'm a freak" line and some very different and unexpected plays on the timing with stretched notes and pauses.
Mix 104.1
BTIKM - A consistently good performance that was live streamed from the station.
Fever - A fun rendition with a cheeky "baby steps" lyric addition. Adam enjoys this theatrical one with laughs aplenty and freestyles his way though the second half of the song.
KISS 108 FM
BTIKM - A typically strong performance in voice with a couple of hesitant notes where it seems like he only decides mid-way where the note is going to go.
Trespassing - This is the first performance for a radio audience, performed with attitude as Adam dances in his seat. His timbre is magnificently powerful and grainy. It feels like the song keeps picking up pace going faster and faster and Adam has to finally tell Tommy to stop. Unfortunately there are some rare bum notes at the end which spoil it for me.
104.5 WXLO
WWFM - The quality of recordings here are beautiful and Adam expertly showcases the rich resonant scrapey lower tone of his voice. He calls for the guitar to be made louder. BTIKM - This is Adam's voice at its glorious best. Flawless.
Q100 The Bert Show
BTIKM - This was performed live on air in studio and is a lovely quality recording. Adam has a falsetto crescendo as opposed to belt.
WWFM - We can hear Adam's delightful breathy voice here and I'm liking the low "Just keep coming around".
Star 94 FM
BTIKM - Adam performs this one in front of a live audience with a pretty floaty, grainy voice and low improvisations.
WWFM - This has a beautiful powerful finish.
Q100 Jezebel magazine launch party
It's great to see Adam back in a suit again, I've missed it. The resemblance to Elvis is more than passing with half-down hair. Adam performs with his whole band fully plugged in.
FYE - The drums are very loud on the recording and strangely Adams's not dancing to this rock rendition.
IIHY - Adam looks so formally dressed for this one, not dancing but with waggly leg.
Fever - Adam's wearing spray-on trousers with a weird pullover/bib type thing, which can be seen with the removal of his jacket. There's lots of hip action here, accentuated by his dangly belt accoutrement.
Cuckoo - This upbeat song features lots of strutty dancing. It has an element of funk but it's not picked up by the recording. It's quite hard to distinguish the bassline and the hook.
Chokehold - This sounds like soft rock with an epic big production feel that will draw comparisons with Sleepwalker. It has an interesting melody which I like, contrasting higher register soft vocals with a heavy beat. I can hear the guitar riffs in some other song whose name escapes me. Adam is very expressive but there's also some attitude in there which I love.
Trespassing - The songs has lots of tricky lyrics that are very easy to stumble upon. Even though the recording isn't very good, it's stompy and has a great vibe with Adam finally getting his groove on. He's a little flat in places but his vocals are bright and it's easy to see why this is the album's title track.
107.5 The River
From here on, there is a change in personnel as Tommy replaces Kevin on guitar for these acoustic radio performances. BTIKM - This is a much less bouncy, rather calm measured performance with pretty vocals and a soft ending.
WWFM - The guitar finally sounds right here. I guess it was Kevin's guitar that was unpleasant to my ears. I still don't know whether it was a rattly string or his playing. Adam's voice is velvety but hard and he requests for guitar to be turned up.
Radio 107.3 FM Gibson Guitar Showrooms
BTIKM - Strong and note perfect, it's just a pity that a pro recording hasn't been made available yet.
WWFM - Adam's voice is rich and full with a glorious belt and low variation on the last "Need a second to breathe".
Hot 99.5
BTIKM - Adam's voice is frustratingly quiet on the recording and Tommy seems to make a little mistake midway through. This version is well worth listening to as the climax is quite different.
WWFM - This is another that's well worth listening to. Again, Adam's voice is in the background on this recording but listen out for the change-ups on the first "Here we are", the lead-up to the bridge and right at the end. There's also a minor lyric fail in there.
94.7 Fresh FM
BTIKM - Adam's voice has much of that sweet floaty quality that leads to an almighty belt.
WWFM - Adam addresses the crowd as his babies in that part of the lyric. His voice here is just beautiful, full of that grainy timbre especially near the finish. His change in melody for the final "WWFM?" is just delightful.
KISS 95.7 / KC101.3 Dunkin' Donuts lounge
BTIKM - A strong consistent one from Adam. Tommy appears to make a mistake on the guitar and almost stops altogether but Adam does a fantastic job of trying to cover it up by singing through it with abundant power.
WWFM - Adam's voice sounds beautifully growly on one of the choruses. He appears to hit a bum note at one point, but proceeds to guide it into a pleasant melodic improv last heard at the 107.3 gig that he repeats later on.
KC 101.3
BTIKM (Studio audience) - This is a mic-less, tech-less unplugged performance where the lucky audience is able to appreciate the pure raw beauty of Adam's voice. Some nice riffs in there.
WWFM - This is quite a gentle version where Adam uses much more of his falsetto than usual, the melody seeming to hover around the tricky bridge between registers. He amps up the power towards the end though.
BTIKM (Live on air) - Adam stands up for this one and I wonder whether in a hectic schedule he's trying to conserve his voice just a touch. The high parts of the song get no powerbelt treatment and are all done in a pretty warbling falsetto with riffs that must be heard.
96.5 TIC FM
BTIKM - This one's a strong performance with the return of Adam's belting and a surprisingly gentle finish.
WWFM - There's a little variation on the "I'm a freak" line and some very different and unexpected plays on the timing with stretched notes and pauses.
Mix 104.1
BTIKM - A consistently good performance that was live streamed from the station.
Fever - A fun rendition with a cheeky "baby steps" lyric addition. Adam enjoys this theatrical one with laughs aplenty and freestyles his way though the second half of the song.
KISS 108 FM
BTIKM - A typically strong performance in voice with a couple of hesitant notes where it seems like he only decides mid-way where the note is going to go.
Trespassing - This is the first performance for a radio audience, performed with attitude as Adam dances in his seat. His timbre is magnificently powerful and grainy. It feels like the song keeps picking up pace going faster and faster and Adam has to finally tell Tommy to stop. Unfortunately there are some rare bum notes at the end which spoil it for me.
104.5 WXLO
WWFM - The quality of recordings here are beautiful and Adam expertly showcases the rich resonant scrapey lower tone of his voice. He calls for the guitar to be made louder. BTIKM - This is Adam's voice at its glorious best. Flawless.
Sunday, 22 April 2012
Promo Rounds Denver-Dallas-Houston
Slowly but surely I'm finally managing to catch up on the glut of performances we got out of Adam's Promo rounds. I'm afraid if I don't add some notes, some absolute gems might end up being overlooked and lost in the pile. I'm splitting the posts up by date and location, so first up is the Denver-Dallas-Houston week. Here's a playlist of those performances:
Alice 105.9
WWFM - The guitar here still sounds a bit out-of-tune to me but the quality of the recording is horrendous. In spite of this, Adam's fluttery sweet voice stands out. The vocal runs before and just after the bridge are lower and a bit different here.
BTIKM - It sounds like the key here has been lowered again. It's smooth with lots of light and shade at the end with some startling glory notes.
Mix 102.9 Dallas
OOL - This is the song's US debut. Adam's voice is gorgeous, quiet and tender and I could drink it in all day long. He seems to lose control a little at the climax with an iffy note. It ends with his hard scrapey tone and a beautiful touch with the sobby "lo-o-ove" at the end.
WWFM - Adam's voice is grainy and rich with some nice changes at the end. I'm still not keen on the guitar though.
BTIKM - This has a quick tempo. Another solid performance with echoey voice and no backing vocals.
103.7 Lite FM
BTIKM - The sound quality here is great, again without the backing vocals and a lovely gentle finish.
WWFM - Adam comments about how some fans can keep winning competitions. His voice has that tone I go nuts for and there's a very satisfying belter of a climax.
i93
BTIKM - This is fast and bouncy, but unfortunately the skipping sound is a distraction. Adam seems to enjoy himself here, smiling and laughing during the performance.
WWFM - Adam uses his hard voice here that I think at times sounds a touch harsh and strained.
Kidd Kraddick
BTIKM - The quality of this recording is great. It's quite a soft version, again without backing vocals. There's too much echo in it for my liking but it has a delightful ending
OOL - I'm not keen on the guitar picking at the intro, the sliding and clipped note sounding unpleasant. It's also too loud as this is one of the quietest and most doleful of renditions, Adam's voice a mere whisper at the start. It's sounds like there's a little error in the guitar at the end of the first chorus. The way Adam howls his way through this is beautiful, though just after the climax there's a tense note. Again, I love that sobbing "lo-o-ove" where he puts a break in his voice.
Mix 96.5
BTIKM - I love the crescendo in this powerful vocal.
WWFM - Adam sings this with his glorious full voice.
Fever - The guitar doesn't sound quite right here and we don't get the glory note but it's an entertaining and cheeky performance.
Alice 105.9
WWFM - The guitar here still sounds a bit out-of-tune to me but the quality of the recording is horrendous. In spite of this, Adam's fluttery sweet voice stands out. The vocal runs before and just after the bridge are lower and a bit different here.
BTIKM - It sounds like the key here has been lowered again. It's smooth with lots of light and shade at the end with some startling glory notes.
Mix 102.9 Dallas
OOL - This is the song's US debut. Adam's voice is gorgeous, quiet and tender and I could drink it in all day long. He seems to lose control a little at the climax with an iffy note. It ends with his hard scrapey tone and a beautiful touch with the sobby "lo-o-ove" at the end.
WWFM - Adam's voice is grainy and rich with some nice changes at the end. I'm still not keen on the guitar though.
BTIKM - This has a quick tempo. Another solid performance with echoey voice and no backing vocals.
103.7 Lite FM
BTIKM - The sound quality here is great, again without the backing vocals and a lovely gentle finish.
WWFM - Adam comments about how some fans can keep winning competitions. His voice has that tone I go nuts for and there's a very satisfying belter of a climax.
i93
BTIKM - This is fast and bouncy, but unfortunately the skipping sound is a distraction. Adam seems to enjoy himself here, smiling and laughing during the performance.
WWFM - Adam uses his hard voice here that I think at times sounds a touch harsh and strained.
Kidd Kraddick
BTIKM - The quality of this recording is great. It's quite a soft version, again without backing vocals. There's too much echo in it for my liking but it has a delightful ending
OOL - I'm not keen on the guitar picking at the intro, the sliding and clipped note sounding unpleasant. It's also too loud as this is one of the quietest and most doleful of renditions, Adam's voice a mere whisper at the start. It's sounds like there's a little error in the guitar at the end of the first chorus. The way Adam howls his way through this is beautiful, though just after the climax there's a tense note. Again, I love that sobbing "lo-o-ove" where he puts a break in his voice.
Mix 96.5
BTIKM - I love the crescendo in this powerful vocal.
WWFM - Adam sings this with his glorious full voice.
Fever - The guitar doesn't sound quite right here and we don't get the glory note but it's an entertaining and cheeky performance.
Friday, 10 February 2012
Mix Megapol Showcase Stockholm
Peering out from the pile of media from Adam's European promo, we have an official recording from his acoustic showcase in Sweden though we're still agonisingly short of a full set. I'm hoping that once the album's out, the other songs will be posted. We have the same set as the other acoustic showcases of Fever, BTIKM, OOL, WWFM and Trespassing:
As I'm used to Fever being one for getting up and shaking it, the instrumentals seem a bit tame here. But it does mean we get to hear Adam's voice more clearly in its deliciously rich form. The climax is a highlight for the riff, even though it sounds a bit gargly-growly in the throat. It's a fantastic version and Kevin does a great job on keys with his jazzy free style.
As in the other recent acoustic sets, BTIKM is sung in an even lower key than the TV performances which in turn are lower than the single. I don't think the lowest notes here sound very assured but the voice is laid bare as the instrumentals are so quiet. Adam's rich velvety voice is a beauty though, and I'm thrilled that he continues to improvise and experiment with the melody on each performance. The crescendo is a very satisfying one and the ending a very tender one.
This OOL has such a quiet sombre start, so minimal and it would be wrist-slittily sad were it not for the building up into something powerful and defiant through the introduction of drums and other instruments. There's a beautiful a cappella section followed suddenly by a magnificent crescendo that's gasp- and goosebump-inducing. I love the way he sobs one of the last "Outlaws of lo-o-ove"s. Exquisite.
I really love the raspier tone of Adam's voice on this version of WWFM which features a couple of instances of lyric fail. It's the charming way he deals with it that's so endearing, also finding amusement in the fact that even after a few hundred performances he can still forget the words. Which he has done on each of the acoustic showcases on this promo tour! I guess it goes to show how much Adam has been focusing on this new era of songs. The ending is yet another unique one I haven't heard before.
Tommy's little funk riffs are a fabulous addition to this extremely cool performance of Trespassing. The claps don't feature quite as prominently as in some of the other performances, probably because everyone's hands are busy. Needless to say, Adam sings this flawlessly and fiercely. Like Fever though, I would've liked the instruments to have been a little louder as it's one for dancing to. It doesn't stop Adam though, who ends up on his feet. And so do I.
As I'm used to Fever being one for getting up and shaking it, the instrumentals seem a bit tame here. But it does mean we get to hear Adam's voice more clearly in its deliciously rich form. The climax is a highlight for the riff, even though it sounds a bit gargly-growly in the throat. It's a fantastic version and Kevin does a great job on keys with his jazzy free style.
As in the other recent acoustic sets, BTIKM is sung in an even lower key than the TV performances which in turn are lower than the single. I don't think the lowest notes here sound very assured but the voice is laid bare as the instrumentals are so quiet. Adam's rich velvety voice is a beauty though, and I'm thrilled that he continues to improvise and experiment with the melody on each performance. The crescendo is a very satisfying one and the ending a very tender one.
This OOL has such a quiet sombre start, so minimal and it would be wrist-slittily sad were it not for the building up into something powerful and defiant through the introduction of drums and other instruments. There's a beautiful a cappella section followed suddenly by a magnificent crescendo that's gasp- and goosebump-inducing. I love the way he sobs one of the last "Outlaws of lo-o-ove"s. Exquisite.
I really love the raspier tone of Adam's voice on this version of WWFM which features a couple of instances of lyric fail. It's the charming way he deals with it that's so endearing, also finding amusement in the fact that even after a few hundred performances he can still forget the words. Which he has done on each of the acoustic showcases on this promo tour! I guess it goes to show how much Adam has been focusing on this new era of songs. The ending is yet another unique one I haven't heard before.
Tommy's little funk riffs are a fabulous addition to this extremely cool performance of Trespassing. The claps don't feature quite as prominently as in some of the other performances, probably because everyone's hands are busy. Needless to say, Adam sings this flawlessly and fiercely. Like Fever though, I would've liked the instruments to have been a little louder as it's one for dancing to. It doesn't stop Adam though, who ends up on his feet. And so do I.
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Q-Snowcase 2012
Adam's 30th birthday was spent working on promoting his new material for Belgian radio station Qmusic. He performed an exclusive set at the Q-Snowcase event in the picturesque city of Zell am See, Austria. They were kind enough to let us crash their servers while providing a live stream of the event as it unfolded. We were waiting, salivating over the hope that we might hear some new material after reading unanimously glowing reviews of his album from all over the place.
The set is acoustic with Isaac, Kevin and Tommy but no Ashley, and takes me back to the first round of international promo. As well as being more portable and easier to set up, it also allows Adam's talent to shine supreme. Dressed all in black, nothing showy, he keeps his look consistent with the other performances in this era.
The surprise opener is Fever. I'd often wondered how this song with so many electronic sounds would work acoustically, so I'm grateful I've been answered with its first outing. Adam's voice utilises a grainier texture which is my absolute favourite. The song bounces along brightly, a little strange in the absence of crotchularly fixated movements but Adam appears to battle hard to stay seated. Kevin's dexterous piano work is jazzy and free-flowing especially towards the end, and though a touch tentative, I'm really liking Tommy's additional funk riffs.
BTIKM has a bit of a shaky start with Adam's pitch a little off, but he soon finds his feet. The first verse is very gentle, and instead of belting out the highest parts, he goes into his falsetto. It's also less beat-driven than the single with smooth piano work. His timbre is so rich and when he reaches the climax with his powerful belt it's a prickly-hair moment. Kevin's backing vocals complement Adam's well. Make sure you listen to Adam's beatboxing cameo after the end of the song.
The highlight of this set for me has to be OOL. I've heard the St. Agathe one so many times that the audience screams have become integral to it. So it comes as a wonderful relief to no longer hear those sounds when braced and ready for them. Oh my. Even the introduction is a joy to behold, the pleasant sound of the flowing piano nowhere near as harshly jangly as that of the guitar. I've not heard Adam's voice so soft, so sweet and so silken smooth. I'm usually one for the excesses of full-on wails but this is understated perfection. His doleful voice emotes quiet resignation, hushed breathy and fragile, not whispery but still retaining melody. His fluttery vibrato is painfully beautiful and I just can't get enough of that 'clooooooser' along with umpteen other different examples in the first verse.
Kevin and Tommy aren't quite in perfect synch with their timing at the intro to the second verse. Adam changes his volume and tone to go from resignation to mild defiance as Isaac kicks in with percussion. The little embellishments at 'old' and 'enough' are a nice touch as is replacing the final 'oh' at the bridge with a velvety 'eh'. The crescendo is one that's deeply satisfying as Adam ups his intensity to give us my favourite harder scrapier tone of his, rich resonant and harmonious, goosebumps galore, showing plenty more fight left within.
I've heard WWFM so many times now but this goes to show how every one is still unique. I suspect there was a case of lyric fail when Adam started a 'Just' line with 'I' that brought on his freestyling ad-libbing riffs, a wonderful treat. The ending 'I won't let you down' rather than 'WWFM?' gives the song a very different feel. It's abrupt and shifts the focus towards taking responsibility rather than feeling the victim.
And then we have the first listen of the album title track, Trespassing. It's only a short snippet because we agonisingly got cockblocked by request. Adam tries to get the audience to liven up by clapping. First impressions are that it's a fast punchy song, funky as fuck with lots of with and rebellious attitude in the storytelling lyrics. It's very wordy with a quick delivery so there's no room for getting tongued-tied stumbling over them. Definitely not one for singing whilst drunk! The bassline is irresistible, (having already set up camp within my head and showing no signs of ever wanting to shift) the melody of which reminds me of MARRS's 80s classic Pump Up The Volume but more fleet-footed. There's a sprinkling of funk riffs and if you don't feel the urge to move to this then get someone to zap you with a defibrillator because you must have just died. This is just the type of song I've been waiting so long for Adam to lend his voice to, and my, does that voice sound infuckingcredible.
The set is acoustic with Isaac, Kevin and Tommy but no Ashley, and takes me back to the first round of international promo. As well as being more portable and easier to set up, it also allows Adam's talent to shine supreme. Dressed all in black, nothing showy, he keeps his look consistent with the other performances in this era.
The surprise opener is Fever. I'd often wondered how this song with so many electronic sounds would work acoustically, so I'm grateful I've been answered with its first outing. Adam's voice utilises a grainier texture which is my absolute favourite. The song bounces along brightly, a little strange in the absence of crotchularly fixated movements but Adam appears to battle hard to stay seated. Kevin's dexterous piano work is jazzy and free-flowing especially towards the end, and though a touch tentative, I'm really liking Tommy's additional funk riffs.
BTIKM has a bit of a shaky start with Adam's pitch a little off, but he soon finds his feet. The first verse is very gentle, and instead of belting out the highest parts, he goes into his falsetto. It's also less beat-driven than the single with smooth piano work. His timbre is so rich and when he reaches the climax with his powerful belt it's a prickly-hair moment. Kevin's backing vocals complement Adam's well. Make sure you listen to Adam's beatboxing cameo after the end of the song.
The highlight of this set for me has to be OOL. I've heard the St. Agathe one so many times that the audience screams have become integral to it. So it comes as a wonderful relief to no longer hear those sounds when braced and ready for them. Oh my. Even the introduction is a joy to behold, the pleasant sound of the flowing piano nowhere near as harshly jangly as that of the guitar. I've not heard Adam's voice so soft, so sweet and so silken smooth. I'm usually one for the excesses of full-on wails but this is understated perfection. His doleful voice emotes quiet resignation, hushed breathy and fragile, not whispery but still retaining melody. His fluttery vibrato is painfully beautiful and I just can't get enough of that 'clooooooser' along with umpteen other different examples in the first verse.
Kevin and Tommy aren't quite in perfect synch with their timing at the intro to the second verse. Adam changes his volume and tone to go from resignation to mild defiance as Isaac kicks in with percussion. The little embellishments at 'old' and 'enough' are a nice touch as is replacing the final 'oh' at the bridge with a velvety 'eh'. The crescendo is one that's deeply satisfying as Adam ups his intensity to give us my favourite harder scrapier tone of his, rich resonant and harmonious, goosebumps galore, showing plenty more fight left within.
I've heard WWFM so many times now but this goes to show how every one is still unique. I suspect there was a case of lyric fail when Adam started a 'Just' line with 'I' that brought on his freestyling ad-libbing riffs, a wonderful treat. The ending 'I won't let you down' rather than 'WWFM?' gives the song a very different feel. It's abrupt and shifts the focus towards taking responsibility rather than feeling the victim.
And then we have the first listen of the album title track, Trespassing. It's only a short snippet because we agonisingly got cockblocked by request. Adam tries to get the audience to liven up by clapping. First impressions are that it's a fast punchy song, funky as fuck with lots of with and rebellious attitude in the storytelling lyrics. It's very wordy with a quick delivery so there's no room for getting tongued-tied stumbling over them. Definitely not one for singing whilst drunk! The bassline is irresistible, (having already set up camp within my head and showing no signs of ever wanting to shift) the melody of which reminds me of MARRS's 80s classic Pump Up The Volume but more fleet-footed. There's a sprinkling of funk riffs and if you don't feel the urge to move to this then get someone to zap you with a defibrillator because you must have just died. This is just the type of song I've been waiting so long for Adam to lend his voice to, and my, does that voice sound infuckingcredible.
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