• Band / Artist : Adaline – mySpace
• Genre : Electroacoustic / Folk Rock
• Sample Track Download : N/A
• Buy CD : CD Baby
• Buy Digital Download : iTunes
• Rating : 9 out of 10

When I got this album in, I was kind of under the impression it was going to be a fairly low key, female vocalist kind of thing. That was based on my listening to just one track on the album and then podcasting it, soon after. When I got the album in, what surprised me was the depth. The opening and indeed title track “Famous for Fire”, while having sumptuous vocals, also have that almost theatrical feel to them. This style of music, often goes two ways, either totally over the top (which can actually sometimes work), or far too serious for it’s own good. It’s nice then to hear something that bucks this trend, an manages to carve a niche of it’s own. With the following track, “Find My Way”, it’s funny but more I listen to it, the more it reminds me of a mash-up between Britney Spears’ “Hit Me Baby One More Time” and Abba. Not that that’s in any way a criticism, but it’s certainly an interesting vibe.

“Chemical Spill” for me goes off on a tangent into the late era Tori Amos sound, which for me is a real turn off. Not that I’m not open to different sounds, Whiter Straighter” being a case in point, with it’s muted trad jazz trumpet. Here’s a song that comes alive and you can just sense Adaline let herself go and it’s a joy to hear. “Poor You” changes tempo, but again the vocals, with their dreamy air of beauty, capture you in the headlights, transfixed and helpless, but not wanting to move.”Meaningless Meeting” was the track that introduced me to Adaline and the more I hear it, the more I love it. Again, there is certainly a Tori Amos feel to this, but it draws more from her pure talent, rather than her pure madness.

“Pioneering” turns it up a notch, and dips a toe into more conventional pop/rock, and it’s kind of the last thing you expect, but I couldn’t help but smile, because here’s a girl that’s doing what she wants to do and while I feel like a spectator, I’m one on the same bus as Adaline and not wanting to get off.

The album ends on a more malancholic note, but while the mood is down, the vocals soar and I couldn’t think of a better song on which to close.

Conclusion : Just an amazing album, that had me constantly notching up Adaline’s final mark, as I kept playing the album and finding new things to love. Aural candy and very tasty.