Adam Brierley

Once upon a time, if something was branded as Indie it was because it was truly independent. These were the days before such esteemed publications as NME turned it into a lazy label for a generic music; Inner Voices bring Indie back to its true meaning. Inner Voices being a one man project and that man is Adam Brierley. Everything on My Aberration is all down to him, from the production to the packaging, literally a cottage industry for the 21st century. Before I even started listening I already had the utmost respect for what he had achieved.

Starting with the title track, My Aberration, and I am filled with hope for the what lies ahead. It is perfectly constructed and reminiscent of the New Romantic period; certainly an emotionally driven song. Bursting with intelligent lyrical content and echoing of the despair of a man who is staring long and hard into the abyss. Kite Runner continues carrying the emotional batten and it becomes apparent this is what Brierley does well, even though I believe he could step up another gear on this evidence he is making progress that many would be envious of.

Ice Breaker really came as surprise, much less subtle with its electro influences. The beats are heavy and driven hard, shaking me from my relaxed state; a rude awakening but nonetheless an uplifting experience to know he has another direction in which he can take his sound.

With only 4 tracks it is difficult to predict the full potential of Brierley but it is clear that there is potential, whereas with others I have already become despondent by this point. It would be my advice that you make a note of the name; it is one that you will be hearing again.

Rating 7/10 If this is an aberration it is a positive one

Reviewed by Darren
- Insiders Guide

'Is it possible to get that Big Label Sound at Home''?
The Review, but let us tell you something first about this Man & His Music.
It is Music composed at home..
It is Music recorded at home..
It is Music Mastered at home..
It is Music Distributed to Radio & Marketed from home via Myspace &N1M Music US(from home)
Here Goes..The Review,
At times I may have to be forgiven for saying this Music has the enormous feel of 'The Pet Shop Boys', at times you might even think its Neil Tennant on the vocals. We got occasional reminders of Frankie Goes to Hollywood.Love em or Loathe em,both highly succesful Bands.
I remember reading something about this music where the word 'weird' cropped up on a couple of occasions. There is nothing weird about this music whatsoever, the fact is it is different, it is music that in terms of style is keeping ahead of what is considered to be the 'norm'. This Music is unique in terms of what the man is doing, how he is doing it and the results he is achieving. It is Magnificent!. This is Music moving forward at a pace. This is Music with a great width of activity within its scope.
The Tracks.
'My Aberration', Starts off with a Gentle Spanish Guitar, soft voice just flowing along gently. You are thinking to yourself 'is this it'? then suddenly BANG..a wall of sound hits you like a tornado, as fast as that tornado hit you, your back down again to something quiet and smooth and no sooner said that Powehouse of Sound is back, wave after wave of it. We loved it! This track is pretty powerful and really hits you where it should. Its a track that really leaves you thinking 'How the hell did he do that'. Im saying no more I want you to listen to it. Our rating for this track 9/10.Might be interesting to get your opinion on it too!
'Kite Runner' 'Bend Your Mind' & 'Ice Breaker' are all dynamic tracks. Each different but all displaying a fantastic lust this man has for his music. 'Bend your Mind' (A Brilliant Track).'Ice Breaker'(A Real Tasty Number')
To bring all of this together, this man is taking his music to New Levels of Artistic credibility using Electronics as its focal point or inspiration. This is music that avoids common structures. It is Music with exaggerated dynamics which heightens the contrast between sections. We loved the extended Instrumental passages. The lack of a single steady beat(in our opinion)indicates there is more emphasis on listening than danceability.
All in all we found this fantastic listening, elaborate lyrics with an awful lot of sincerity, a voice that really sings with the mood of the music. The guy gets our thumbs up and taking into account all that we know we are gonna rate this guy
8/10 Now we are the listeners,so what about you,the Musicians.How about giving some feedback too.
This guy has got an incredible C.V. Too!! To find out more Go to www.myspace.com/adamdbrierley 'His Music is an Inspiration'.
Currently No7 in 'The North West Independent Top 100',and with a fan base as solid as a rock.Well done Adam.
Love yer stuff Inner Voices MM
- Music Man (Top 100 North West UK)

Inner Voices - Demo CD
Inner Voices is an unsigned artist from Horwich near Bolton. He sent us four sample tracks from his upcoming CD, which should be available later this year. Described by a fan as having a similar sound to O.M.D (you know..Enola Gay, Electricity etc..) we looked forward to slipping the demo into the stereo….So once the post arrived, we did just that, and here’s what we made of his tracks….

Adam Brierly aka Inner Voices has a great and catchy synth pop sound. Claiming to be a ‘virtual act’ he has yet to go on tour and play live events. My initial listen to the CD was a pleasurable experience. A strong delivery of vocals fused with electro beats and the odd bit of crunching guitar took me back to the days of the new-romantics.
The first track – ‘Ice Breaker’ is my favourite on the CD, kicking off with electro sounds and continuing on into a glistening danceable classic. The track is reminiscent of my favourite 80s popstars. Edgy guitar lines and the strength of Brierley’s voice coupled with the emotive lyrics, bring an incredible sense of boldness this track; sophisticated pop-rock at it’s finest.
After enjoying the first track so much I was a little disappointed in the second, which seemed a much slower and depressing track. Having said that, it certainly shows that Inner Voices does have range in the talent pool. ‘Bend Your Mind’ is about a past relationship and it features guest vocals from Ruth Jenkins. Revealing a darker side in lyrics and sound, the track, though beautiful in it’s own right doesn’t seem to gel with the others on the album. As the CD is largely experimental, I suppose I should have expected something a little different.
Track three takes us back to more powerful melodies and vocals. Entitled ‘Chains ‘ the tinkling piano track swells from quiet thoughts into a positive short-lived euphoria which could challenge the likes of Spandau Ballet. The track sent delightful chills down my spine whilst putting a smile on my face. It’s easy to see why radio stations have started pushing Inner Voices tracks.
‘Drift’, the final track is an excellent finish to the CD, a slower and yet powerful song about a love and loss. The synths add colour to the track though don’t dominate it. The balladic offering builds an atmosphere of melancholy yet gives us a taste of creative strength. You can’t help but marvel at the depth tones of this track, I could see that it was not only a piece of music, but a tuneful piece of art. This song left me wanting more….And I can bet that’s exactly what he wanted me to feel.
Those looking for a modern take on the new-romantics are likely to really enjoy and love the sounds of Inner Voices. Those looking for something totally unique may feel a little disappointed with the CD as I can’t help but feel some songs are a re-hash of what has already been done before. I’m not saying the album is a total product of 80s nostalgia as it certainly has a new sound but some elements of the demo can seem a little dated in parts. That said, the album does have a wonderful sense of dynamics that will keep the listener hanging in there from beginning to end and still leave them wanting more.
Overall I’d say Inner Voices launches a fantastic pop-assault of experimental and bold sounds. He manages to combine lush melodies with low-key synths and interesting guitar. With a little more development, I can see Inner Voices filling future CDs with arena-ready material. The whole album is a solid starter and I expect to hear more big, upbeat tunes coming from Inner Voices in the near future. For a home recorded and released CD, there’s great production and sound quality, I listened to it on a few different stereos and noticed a lot more work in the complex midi backing tracks once I used a better sound system.
I’d love to see this ‘virtual act’ get out on tour with a decent backing band, he certainly has the potential to put a fresh sound in the ears of those who thought that ‘new romanticism’ was dead and gone.
Fans of Duran Duran, A-Ha and Erasure should definitely be heading to http://www.myspace.com/adamdbrierley to listen to some tunes for yourselves.
Support Inner Voices, don’t let him drift away..
This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 18th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
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- Music Mog (2007)