Peter Bradley Adams — Leavetaking

Peter Bradley Adams
Leavetaking
Sarathan

by Al Kaufman

There is a place for quiet, contemplative music, and Peter Bradley Adams occupies that space quite well. Adams first gained minor notoriety, with Kat Maslich, as the lo-fi eastmountainsouth. The duo’s vocal harmonies landed them a deal with Dreamworks records, which then didn’t know what to do with them and dropped them after one release. The pair split amicably, and Adams has now released his second solo CD.

A classically trained pianist, some of Adams’ songs, such as "Los Angeles," slip from melodic to atmospheric. He is also still in the process of finding his own voice. The songs in which Katie Herzig contributes her subtle harmonies stand out, especially "The Longer I Run," which has a gentle jauntiness to it and some pretty guitar strums. He also offers up some haunting mandolin on "I’ll Forget You."
But when it is just Adams, his piano, and some minnor accompaniment, things slow down. His hushed vocals feel earnest, but entirely non-threatening. It’s nice and safe, and sometimes quite beautiful. But sometimes it’s just nice and safe.

Peter Bradley Adams plays Eddie’s Attic on Wednesday, August 20th, with the duo Ansley Rushing & Rudy Vaughn. 8 pm. $10/$12 door.