Adrian H unfolds haunting storylines, reminescent of Rumplestiltskin taking a cracktown walk on the wild side with Lou Reed, in a deep-throated Leonard Cohen style. Original music and lyrical content reflect raw vocalized emotions, the sort of emotions facilitated by waking up alone, unwillingly divorced, and incapacitated by a lingering drunken stupor amid several dozen empty bottles of the cheapest liquer that panhandling can buy; and an unbrazened devotion to the well-crafted stories at hand within each track on this full-length, self-titled debut. The pacing of some song parts on this album also bring to mind the music of Voltaire, a talented dark folk indie music artist with a penchant for heavy handed piano introductions, dry wit, and morbid lyrical themes. Perhaps moody and misunderstood, Adrian H's vocal range initially impresses of an unwashed, swarthy character; the anonymous sort from whom mothers pull away their children, moving hurriedly in any opposite direction. Mothers also say, "Don't judge a book by its cover!" Digging deeper into the album reveals serial, overlapping layers of complexity as each sordid song spins a new tale. Solace for open wounds earned via life's harsh realities may still reverberate deeply once the music stops. Despite these more dynamic audio features developing slowly behind each line of poetry, much of the lyrical content remains simplistic and to-the-point. Ironically, however, some of the lyrical content becomes so metaphorical that the mind of any listener may twist and turn in wonder upon the truth lingering still amid the lines of allegorical poetry. Overall, the music immediately provokes imagined visual context to support the creative lyrical storylines. Labour upon piano keys reflects nuances of an exquisite attention toward mood altering audio impacts. As such, each song might easily be paired with sinister cinematic opportunities. The next mission, for those who choose to accept: discover whether Adrian H and the Wounds so profoundly deliver live and on-stage the same enigmatic and provocative music, or whether this band harbours even more horrific new music yet to furtively unveil? 

Jett Black / MusicArtery.com
[http://musicartery.com/cdreviews/adrianh.php]
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