Adam Arcuragi...

I've been rocking Adam Arcuragi's last self titled record for a little while now. It's good solid indie pop rock with a streak of confessional heart on the sleeve style lyrics. Adam has one of those indie rock voices that immediately seems indebted to Isaac Brock and Elliott Smith. His singing contains a certain charm that seems well suited to the stories he tells in his songs, but it has its limitations and can at times begin to have an unrelenting sameness that can get a bit tired. This probably wouldn't even an issue because his voice his far from unpleasant but he likes to write long songs (the first three songs on his album go 7:22, 5:50, 5:20, 5:14) and the length seems to slowly undermine his voice instead of hold it up.

Now that I've gone and put my criticisms first I can tell you why I like the record. Let's start with the stellar folks he gets to help with his albums, members from Audible, Mazarin, Bitter Bitter Weeks, National Eye, Matt Pond PA, the Rachel’s, the Trouble With Sweeney, and Ink & Dagger all assist on Adam Arcuragi which is available from High Two via eMusic and iTunes as well as the more traditional avenues of dissemination. Aside from the hired help Arcuragi has an undeniable knack for hook and melody. To me he's Matt Pond PA without everything that annoyed me about Several Arrows Later, i.e. more sincerity, less schlock, letting the songs stand on their own without a bunch of saccharine coating. For all intents and purposes Adam Arcuragi is a folk rock album that rests on the strength of Arcuragi's ability to make fresh that which is currently common and that's no small feat.

courtesy of the High Two website, both from Adam Arcuragi:

1981

The Christmas Song