https://johnlutheradams-coldblue.bandcamp.com/album/arctic-dreams
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 5/5
released on bandcamp May 28, 2021
If you’ve never heard Adams before I recommend starting with Become Ocean before checking this out. Unfortunately though the Become trilogy isn’t on Bandcamp. The entire trilogy is on Spotify but I think you’re ok with just Ocean or if you just don’t really give a fuck start here. Arctic Dreams is in every way a fantastic composition. For his other stuff, that I’ve listened to, I would call it neo-classical instead of contemporary indicating that I feel like his other stuff is more ambient and this is more twentieth century.
Vocals are so often used poorly in any kind of music that is at all avant-garde adjacent I tend to try to avoid it. A man can only kick himself in the nuts so many times. So unless I know it’s going to be good, usually only when the composer or bandleader is also the singer, I would rather avoid the Roomful of Teeth cringe. I seriously fucking can’t stand that Big Ears bullshit. But anyway, when it’s right it’s RIGHT. Adams nails it here and the vocals add lots of extra very enjoyable texture. It’s a big swing but he’s a heavy hitter. Unlike a lot of the musicians I review there’s shitloads of other stuff on this guy online so run him through Google if you want more than my rec.
Warmth Highest 