adam ant - adam ant is the blueblack...

Adam Ant

Adam Ant is the Blueblack...

2.5 out of 5

I LOVE Adam Ant & have been following him since I was a kid in the 80's, glued to his videos on MTV. Considering the personal struggles he has been through, just the fact that he completed a new album in the year 2013 is a sort of miracle for fans, not to mention a huge personal achievement for Adam, I'd assume. At this point, I wasn't expecting another "Goody Two Shoes", or "Stand And Deliver"- but I'm disappointed in the quality of material here.

I get that he's revisiting his early punk days of "Dirk Wears White Sox", but where are the hooks & the melodies? This recording is barely more than demo-quality. It's rough and scattered with muddy vocals and messy guitar work. Adam even seems to be mumbling occasionally, as if he hadn't even finished the lyrics yet. Apparently, Marco Pirroni & Boz Boorer were 2 of Adam's collaborators here, but I can't distinguish any of their influence. Maybe Adam just didn't have the funds to properly record & hire a producer- or maybe this "garage band" sound is what he was aiming for. Either way, I'm going to have to work to get into this one.

Here's hoping Adam continues to record & be given the chance to return to the quality of work we know he's capable of. All complaints aside, it's great to have him back & hear that voice again, muddled as it might be on this project.