Peter Bradley Adams

I know that there are (or at least were) some Eastmountainsouth fans on this board, since it was through mentions of the group here that I first got into EMS. Peter Bradley Adams, the male half of that duo, has released a solo album, and I think fans of EMS would enjoy it, even if it doesn't have quite the level of magical, calming effect that EMS had on me. It's what you'd logically expect from one-half of that group - mellow folk arrangements, sometimes very straightforward and soothing, sometimes a little tense and melancholy, with a male lead on all of the songs (his voice was always my favorite of the two anyway) and female BGV's on some songs giving the album a very similar feel to EMS's work, minus the programming that sometimes gave EMS a bit of an "L.A. recording studio" feel. I do miss the straight-up duets, and there are points when hearing him sing ballad after ballad gets tedious, but there's slightly more upbeat fare like "Chant" (which is kind of like "You Dance" running into "Winter" with an unintelligible chorus) and the title track, "Gather Up" (which is a lovely piece with acoustic guitar and piano spirnkled over spoken-word vocals - OK, I don't like the spoken word, but the track is a good expression of spirituality and perhaps a plea for social justice). Elsewhere, there's the moving minor-key lullaby "Lay Your Head Down", the mysterious, chilly "Upside Down", the mandolin-laden "He Sang", and the opening track, "Unreconciled", which I'd assume depicted a falling out between him and his former EMS bandmate Kat Bode, if I were a betting man.

I've practically written a mini-review here, so I guess that'll help me when I write up the full review. In short, it's worth checking out for those who liked Eastmountainsouth, or who wouldn't mind a less nasal Andrew Peterson with slightly more moody/melancholy elements present.

NP: "Earth to Bella, Part 2", Incubus