Search - Adult :: Why Bother

ADULT.: all grown up and better than ever!

Scott Bresinger | New York, USA | 03/29/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"("Why Bother?" by Adult.)



While they may have begun their days as just another (even though they were really one of the first) in a glut of electropop revivalists, Adult. (yes, they want you to notice the ".") managed to survive the overall implosion of the electronica market, and instead of watering down their sound, they've grown wilder, more experimental, and indeed, more youthful-sounding. If this is growing up, then I say to heck with the kids! On their last album, Gimmie Trouble, they added guitarist Samuel Consiglio to the core duo of Adam Lee Miller and Nicola Kuperus, giving them a punkier, noisier edge. Consiglio is gone for this album, but the edge has remained. Many of the songs here could be synth versions of "classic" punk songs from 1977. Back in the day, of course, there actually were some punk bands using synthesizers, such as the Screamers. Well, Adult.'s new sound is way more advanced than that, using all manner of queasy, dissonant and even outright atonal effects. Think of the earlier work of such electronic rock pioneers Cabaret Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle, and you're on the right track. Also, there are even a couple of instrumentals here that take some cues from "serious" electronic art music, but Adult. goose it up with punk rock energy. Vocalist Kuperus has grown into an unexpectedly wild singer as well. Whereas the band's earlier efforts relied on dispassionate, electronically distorted speak-singing, Kuperus has clearly drawn inspiration from New Wave divas such as Nina Hagen and Lene Lovich (who in turn were inspired by, yes, Yoko Ono). Her dramatically swooping, sneering and hectoring style will definitely put a few "normal" folks off, but who needs 'em? Kuperus is the real American Idol, if you ask me. Besides, can you picture the vanilla likes of Carrie Underwood singing songs with titles like "I Feel Worse When I'm With You" and (best title of the decade:) "Inclined to Vomit"? While I can't say their sound is original, I can definitely report that there's no one out there remotely like them these days. Electroclash may have suffered a tragic crib death, but Adult. have not only survived, they've thrived."

One of Adult.'s finest efforts

Steward Willons | Illinois | 07/07/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I found this to be one of Adult.'s strongest releases with a good variety of sounds and textures. The overall feel is a bit darker than their previous work and it shows a new side to their art. The stylized vocals from Nicola Kuperus are not the feature here (in my opinion, this is for the best), but that is not to say there aren't plenty of memorable tunes. The typical minimal electro sound is still in place, but the sonic palette is more diverse than before.



Adult.'s early albums were enjoyable, but it seemed clear (to me anyway) that they were still developing and maturing. By "Why Bother?", Adult. seems to have found their sound. It's ultimately greater than a simple more-of-the-same release. They actually seem to be exploring something of a punk sound in places, not necessarily as in super-fast songs with unintelligible vocals, but in a raw, energetic style.



It's nice to see that some of the "electroclash" artists were able to distinguish themselves as legitimate musicians. Adult. managed to develop a definite style early on and that's probably the biggest reason they have continued to release creative electronic music. I must resist the urge to attribute this style completely to Kuperus' monotone vocal delivery because, on this album more than ever, Miller's sparse electronic productions are central to their sound. I'm still not convinced that they're musically comparable to electronic artists such as Aphex Twin or Autechre, so I must give this album four stars instead of five, but that's not really a criticism with the album itself. Judged solely by their oeuvre, this is a five-star album.



If you're an Adult. fan, you should add this to your collection. If you just like electronic music, this is also a worthy addition to your library. Enjoy."

On Their Own Terms

Donnie DeLaRosa | USA | 05/06/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There is no one else out there like Adult. Electronic and Punk and Nicola Kuperus's amazing voice."