Peter Adams

Fire Note Says: Singer/songwriter Peter Adams offers up something unique and different!

Album Review:
I Woke With Planets In My Face will be one of the more interesting singer / songwriter releases you will hear this year. Cincinnati native Peter Adams sophomore release is full of pop gems surrounded with lush and expansive atmospheric environments that work together making I Woke With Planets an album that was meant to be heard straight thru. It may be hard for some listeners to comply with in today's age of the playlist, party shuffle and singles only types but in this case that sort of thinking does not make sense. The way Adams intertwines the instruments and lyrics in and out of the track transitions create seamless beginnings and ends. This is the appeal of I Woke With Planets along with Adams soft melodic vocals. This combination helps the listener get lost in his music because several more epic tracks like the seven minute "Antarctica" take you through a full orchestrated spectrum of music with all of these elements rising to the top in different sections. I Woke With Planets In My Face is an album that can be listened through multiple times where something new can be discovered in every listen. Peter Adams successfully combines elements of World, orchestra and indie pop for one unique outing that gets better with every spin!

Key Tracks: "The Observatory", "Conversation With The Moon", "Ziggurat" - The Fire Note

Peter Adams' sophomore release, I Woke With Planets In My Face, is a garden of musical delights with pleasing, aphrodisiac-like esplanades, fantasy-shingled-folk, and chamber-pop psychedelics that caramelize into the symphony of world music factions seeded from a gamut of Russian-esque strings, Middle Eastern beats, Gypsy-encased accordion keys, and toy-like kazoos. The album's synth-pop bling and avant bent shares a theatrical propensity to Leerone with fantasy-like patterns relatable to Sigur Ros' spacey arias and glittery atmospherics. Adams' album leaves everything in the hands of the listener's imagination, displaying dazzling melodies and orchestral florals which morph into beautifully crafted molecules that spawn lush kaleidoscopic murals. The tracks have a flaccid sonorousness and flouncy gait that fascinates listeners, and holds them transfixed to the zigzagging movements and intricate jetties which are opulent and plentiful.

Adams masonry shows a broad range of creativity and melodic sensibilities which distinguish him from his peers, while also displaying a broad range of influences from such notable figures as Neutral Milk Hotel and Phillip Glass. Adams' atmospherics bubble gently as they wind-up and release with a casual trot. The trickle of watery synth effects along "In The Great Green Room" are gingerly creped by the Gypsy-like accordion keys, which light up and fade delicately and allow the metallic sprigs to come alive. The gentle twists along "The Observatory" are buttoned by folksy bobbins which have a Say Hi-crackle, while the delightful sputter of dancing tambourines jangle with an infectious Gypsy-vaunt along "Conversation With The Moon." The crystal-like shine of Peter Adams' music is comparable to Phillip Glass as he rouches chamber-pop riffs along ambient-filled sound effects, like in "Ziggurat." His stately melodies are vast stretches of blissful jaunts that amalgamate buoyant Gypsy-beats with folksy psychedelics, and form delightful murals for the listener. The orchestral waves ribboning across "I Was Looking At The Ceiling, And Then I Saw The Sky" have a spacey feel as they elevate and move with a rattle that resembles a twinkling constellation. The woeful mood in the strings of "Antarctica" segue into the vivacious lifts of "Ghost In The Fen" with fantasy-like effects and exotic strings intertwining and propping each other up. The chord movements flower and splash into each other with the playfulness of a child. The track "Annabel Lee" has a Gypsy-punk beat and clusters of country overtones that mingle affectionately with the merry kazoo, while the flaccid strings of "The Seventh Seal" gavel sprightly along the paths of ambient waterways and dewy drops of dulcet keyboards.

One could easily be convinced that these songs are the result of a gathering of elves, fairies, sprites, and pixies with the way the music gleams and sparkles. Adams calls his music "violin-soaked punk-rock folk" on his website, which sums up the album in a nutshell. The songs are a type of folk art that shows a culling of classical elements with folk music, and uses an innovative approach to infusing them with a fantasy-pop vibe and space-age atmospherics. The gully of dreamy-scapes and rollicking beats has a natural swirl that illuminates the music with a crystal-like shine that engulfs the listener in its mysticism. Adams made his debut with his critically acclaimed 2005 album The Spiral Eyes, and his second album I Woke With Planets In My Face is bound to continue his ascent. It is the type of album that causes you to pick up something new in the intricacies of the songs with each subsequent listen.

-Susan Frances - Hybrid Magazine

"With all the drama of an ethereal movie soundtrack, Adams’ songs brilliantly merge his classical training (he started playing violin at age three) and the inevitable teen-punk backlash. On his latest, I Woke With Planets In My Face, out this spring, the hyperliterate Adams composes folksy pop tunes solo and translates them into full-band symphonies." - SPIN Magazine

"The songs on Cincinnati psych/folk genius Peter Adams' self-released sophomore album are as epic and stratospherical as the title --- I Woke With Planets In My Face.

Each track is a majestic journey into soundscapes filled with the elegance and innocence of Andrew Bird, the drama and tension of Radiohead and the lo-fi/neo-psych sensibilities of Neutral Milk Hotel.

This pay-what-you want release has rapidly made its way to the top of my short list for album of the year. A masterpiece." - My Big Mouth Strikes Again

The problem with unpredictable music is that people tend to give up on the album before track no.4 mostly because they want the songs to be catchy and easy to hum along to.
But easy come, easy go as the saying goes and when it all comes around - the classic albums are most often the ones that are unpredictable.
You probably won't find any bubblegum hits or songs made for the dance floor on these albums but more of an album affair where all the songs fit like pieces in a puzzle.
Peter Adams 2nd album "I woke with planets in my face" is just that unpredictable that I lift my eyebrows and raise the volume so I won't miss a thing.
He has recorded the entire album in his Cincinnati home studio and with that in mind I must say that it sounds impressive, the guy is very talented - not only as a musician but also as a strong songwriter.

The music can be described as Led Zeppelin without the rock (their Physical Graffiti era) mixed with The Beatles (Sgt.Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band) in an underground indie rock package.
You could call it space rock at times and psychedelic in others, just listen to "I was looking at the ceiling, and then I saw the sky" that bring thoughts to early Pink Floyd.
This is a great album for true music lovers! - Melodic.net

2. Peter Adams - I Woke Up With Planets In My Face

Now we're getting to the part of the list where I'm liking albums that most of the Indie online magazines are ignoring, since they're not big enough to warrent their attention. I'm not saying I'm somehow better than those people, or anything, but… you know…

shh…but yeah…suck it, pitchfork

Peter Adams is a Cincinnati based singer-songwriter who makes lush orchestral Indie Rock. The kicker is, at least for his first album, that he did it all himself. Vocal harmonies, guitars, drums, bass, cellos, violins, all of it was recorded by Adams in his basement, but you wouldn't guess that just by listening to it. So, while Peter Adam's songs are technically "lo-fi", it's lo-fi in the same way that a pre-op Tranny is a chick.

For this, his second album, Adams actually formed a band, but that was mainly just so he could actually tour and play shows. So, I honestly don't know how much of the album was just recorded by Adams himself, though I do know he still recorded it in his basement. Which would be kind of depressing if the album wasn't so goddamn awesome.

Where the album really shines are the two 7 minute tracks, "Antarctica" and "The Seventh Seal," which are easily some of the best tracks of the year. Ultimately, it's lush, gorgeous, and catchy, which is reason enough to listen to it. Oh right, it's also available for free download on Peter Adams' website, so, you know. Hint.

http://www.elitish.com/?p=399

- Jeff GoodSmith - Elitish.com

"I have watched you all these years,' said the Moon to me, 'But when you are gone for good, I will still be here, on the other side," sings Peter Adams on the picture-perfect "Conversation With The Moon." Delivered in an angelic, Jeff Buckley-like tone-pitched somewhere between the child-like reverie of a bedtime story and the faintly backlit clack-a-tap of a midnight blog entry-how does one begin to critique such a magically conceived line? I Woke With Planets In My Face is the second bedsit masterpiece from this DIY wunderkind with the classical-music background. Comparing Adams' music to others' is a loser's game; his flights of fancy aren't as improvisational as Buckley's or Syd Barrett's (his compositions, such as the Eastern-stringed "Ziggurat," are far too structured and precise), and his affection for the psychedelic chaos of Neutral Milk Hotel and the Flaming Lips is channeled through layers of orchestration rather than guitar feedback. It may seem a ridiculous overstatement, but perhaps the best analogue for Adams' talent is someone like Paul McCartney circa Ram: a guys brave enough to celebrate both small pleasures and big melodies, splashing it all on the canvas without so much as a glance over his shoulder. -Corey duBrowa

www.peteradamsmusic.com

- MAGNET Magazine

January 5, 2009 - I Woke With Planets In My Face, the new album from Cincinnati-based chamber pop singer Peter Adams, is a gracefully executed tightrope walk between restrained intimacy and epic orchestrations. The songs push and pull against one another: they're playful but foreboding, majestic but quirky, and always infectious.

The album opens with a beautifully cinematic instrumental piece that evokes fairy tale imagery with a childlike innocence. When Adams finally sings on the second track, "The Observatory," his voice sounds like a more weathered version of Jeff Buckley, with richly layered instrumentation. Dark strings lurk under brightly strummed mandolins, melodica, electronic tones, and shaken percussion.

The music of Peter Adams has been compared to Neutral Milk Hotel and the Flaming Lips. But there's far less guitar noise in his sound, and a stronger emphasis on traditional orchestral elements and digital textures. It's a memorable and tastefully produced mix that begs for multiple listens.

Peter Adams recorded, performed, produced and mixed I Woke With Planets In My Face by himself. But for live performances he has help from Eli Maiman, Martin Diller, Andrea Lee, and David Lloyd. - NPR - Second Stage

Three years ago, Cincinnati-based singer/songwriter/home recordist Peter Adams release The Spiral Eyes, a gorgeous collection of orchestral Indie Pop that gradually went on to grab international acclaim. Adams was featured prominently in Magnet magazine and he also scored a mention in Spin magazine more recently.

For Adams' much-anticipated follow-up, I Woke With Planets In My Face, the songwriter keeps the home-recorded vibe alive and creates an even more sonic, textured bedroom masterpiece (though the production is anything but lo-fi, robust as anything recorded in an expensive studio). The new CD has been made available at peteradamsmusic.com as a name-your-price download (a la Radiohead's In Rainbows), though hard copy versions of the disc will be available this Saturday at Adams show at Baba Budan's in Clifton. (Hard copies can also be ordered through the Web site; in a few months, a deluxe Lunaphonic Omnibox version, with extra goodies, will be made available).

However one chooses to buy Planets, the music contained within is thrilling, insanely catchy and remarkably diverse. The most noticeable change from Adams? last album is his effortless integration of World music sounds, something he incorporates without detracting from the strong songwriting core. ?Annabel Lee? has a Gypsy feel (accordion and all), capturing what might happen if The Shins collaborated with Gogol Bordello, while the chimes and violin of Ghost in the Fen have an almost oriental flavor.

Middle Eastern and Eastern European influences creep in and out throughout the album, but this is no Graceland-esque excursion. Adams bread-and-butter is a mix of lushly orchestrated strings with lavish, engrossing melodies. Practically every track on the album is a thrill ride, as Adams breaks the ?Pop? mold to allow the songs to breathe and wander. Calling Adams' music orchestral isn't just a reference to the layered strings he writes in a very symphonic way, making his tunes more accurately described as ?compositions? or ?scores? than just songs.

The album holds a hypnotic sway when taken as a whole, but even individual tracks mesmerize and pull the listener in. The glacial Antarctica is a spellbinding epic, Sigur Ros-esque in scope and grandeur, with a swelling chorus that will have your back-of-neck hairs standing at attention and saluting. Likewise, ?The Seventh Seal? is a grand ballad that builds like a cresting wave that never crashes ashore, the high-ceilinged melodies hovering atop like gently rolling clouds.

I Woke With Planets In My Face is a sumptuous, luxuriant album, full of spine-tingly twists at every turn. It's the kind of album you could listen to for a year and still discover new things. If his humble debut attracted ears like flies, then Planets is about to be swarmed with even more acclaim. When I reviewed The Spiral Eyes three years ago, I gave it an unprecedented grade of A+. Looks like we'll have to come up with a new grading system just to accommodate this enthralling tour de force. -Mike Breen - CityBeat