John Adams, No White Lies Review
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John Adams is a singer-songwriter-busker hailing from Aberdare in the South Wales Valleys. A truly homegrown talent, he began his career busking on the streets, using the money to pay for his first release, befittingly entitled The Pavement is My Stage. After the album reached No.7 on the iTunes Singer-Songwriter charts in 2016, he took a leap of faith and left his job as a Mathematics Teacher. That gamble paid off and John has gone on to support household names such as Take That, Lemar, T’Pau and Katherine Jenkins. A follow up release in 2018, titled You Never Know Who’s Listening. Now in 2019, with the release of an EP titled No White Lies, Adams is poised for another year of marked success.
Positives:
Adams songwriting is stronger than ever. His ability to invoke personal experience with a wiser confluence is immediately evident on the new EP.
Bottom Line:
No White Lies marries the genius of easy-going melodies that tie together pop sensibilities to evocative folk traditions. Adams voice is honest and filled with believable soulfulness that convinces the listener from the first notes. The atmospheric piano accompaniment is a wonderful foil to his acoustic guitar and glistening melodies. "First Line" has an intimate sound with acoustic guitar, strings and a soft beat. Adams' forms are always clear and unfold with a sense of development and purpose. "Flames" presents more of a large ensemble to support Adams' singing, but he still brings the listener in to his intimate world. His lyrics penetrate with heartfelt narratives conjuring a reminiscence of Sam Smith and James Blunt. That’s the short of it!