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| Adair: The Destruction of Everything Is the Beginning of Something New   
Label: Warcon RecordsReleased: 2006  |
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In a future generation, when crops spring up again, When this wasteland regains its green, Will men believe that cites and people lie beneath? That in days of old their lands lay closer to the sea? |
| Statius, Silvae, 4.4.78-84 |
So goes the uplifting passage that greets you when you take St. Louis natives Adair’s debut CD, The Destruction of Everything Is the Beginning of Something New, out of its case. To say that Adair is a bit worried about the end of the world would be an enormous understatement, as that theme permeates this entire album. While it all seems clichéd and heavy-handed, Adair has some musical chops as well as above-average songwriting capabilities.
It would be easy to listen to the first song, “Barricade the Doors,” and write the band off as another member of the already-overloaded group of post-hardcore punk/rock acts, but I would recommend exercising some patience and giving them a fair shake. Things seem nice and radio-friendly until about halfway through track three, “The Art of Staying Alive,” which is when vocalist Rob Tweedie unleashes some guttural fireworks that would make Geoff Rickly of Thursday do a double-take. That Adair lets us know early on that they mean business greatly works in their favor, because as the listener we approach the album from a completely different perspective from that point on.
“Separate Your Jaw” stands out as the most complete offering on the album, with an infectious chorus and mature musicianship throughout. It is also the most personally identifiable track, lending itself well to those who have been so confused in life that they don’t know what to do with themselves. Adair also dishes up one of the most brutal revenge songs in recent memory with “The Diamond Ring.” Note to women of the world: do not double-cross Rob Tweedie. He’ll hit you back with lyrics to the tune of “I’ll peel back the skin from my head / Let the sun melt you from my memory / I’ll drink myself to sleep and escape / The nightmares of being awake.” Holy schnikes.
Musically, Adair is beyond their years, with guitarists Josh Goldenhersh and Patrick Baum leading the way with nicely complex melodies. These guys have a knack for layering and atmospherics, and it pays off in songs such as “The Prison Land.” Bassist (and “whistler,” according to the liner notes) Jeffrey Meyer and drummer Matt Tuttle round out the very solid rhythm section.
The biggest thing against Adair is that their sound resides in overpopulated territory. While they surpass many of their peers lyrically and musically, they never really offer anything all that new or different. They are in a comfort zone, and hopefully not permanently. As a debut album this is a good effort, but down the line they may want to push their musical envelope further, especially considering the talent of their two guitarists. As it stands, Adair is a band worth checking out for genre enthusiasts.
bclark@bullz-eye.com