Adam Cross – Sirens
2011, Adam Cross
2011, Adam Cross
Aiken, South Carolina singer/songwriter Adam Cross has seenhis heartbreak. This is evident on Cross’self-released debut album, Sirens. Whether you take the title as a warning, orperhaps as a treatise on the things that draws us out of ourselves (andsometimes pushes us back in), Sirensis a remarkably mature and subtle disclosure of vulnerability and strength,healing and pain.
Sirens opens withthe pure pop rock of “Dance”, a catchy-yet-reserved statement of intent that isthe perfect intro to Sirens. Cross has an appealing voice; staying withina comfortable range that doesn’t restrict his ability to deliver a quietlydynamic performance. “A Feeling” is amelancholic reflection on love as faith, in a love that, if not requited,certainly isn’t available. Cross buildsthe song nicely throughout, growing in intensity through the final bridgebefore drawing back. “Scared To Pieces”is a love ballad written from a less than tenable romantic position. The smooth, radio-ready chorus is full ofsound and sonically appealing. Cross isreminiscent of an edgier Rob Thomas here, both for his sound and for his pop sensibilities.
Cross engages in a confessional style on the stripped-down“Save Me”, punctuating the effort with a jump into his upper vocal register onthe chorus. This last leaves him a bitexposed with a sound that’s less than ideal, but the song has great flow andworks on many levels. “Time Of OurLives” is a wonderfully upbeat love song, although the verse has a stilted feelthat’s somewhat distracting. Theexecution here doesn’t quite match the intent, but it’s a solid, pop-friendlyeffort. “Thursday” is a song of loss,written through the perspective of time, although Cross’ deliberate vocal styleoffers the impression of a suitor who is choosing his words carefully. He’s still in love, you see, and still pursuingher even if he isn’t certain what it is he wants from the pursuit. There’s a stylistic grace to this song thatworks, even with its somewhat awkward pace, as he struggles with the competingfeelings of love and hatred.
“Burning Castles” wants to a big pop/rock song but neverquite lives up to its pretensions. It’sa solid tune, but just never fully becomes. The chorus is mildly catchy, and Cross builds the musical tensionappropriately, there’s just never a payoff. “Time Wasted” laments a relationship that didn’t work out, seen again,through the lens of time. This one has anice, Adult Alternative sound that will play well with radio programmers andfans alike. “Tragedy” finds Crossintroducing more of an electronic element into the arrangement. The result is a somewhat uninspired soundthat seems ripe for pop radio but fails to live up to either the melodic orcreative potential Cross seems to possess. Sirens closes with “Lost”, asix-minute acoustic number that’s among the best on the album. There’s a prayerful melancholy that pervadesthis number, as Cross laments both a past lost and a seeming lack of future. The chorus is gorgeous and slow, dressed indark musical timbres.
Adam Cross impresses with Sirens, even if he doesn’t always hit his mark. There’s a distinctive musicality in Cross’songwriting that has an edgy, Indie-feel, yet a melodicism that pop sensibilitythat make him accessible to the commercial market. Musical melancholia fans will enjoy Cross’tales of love lost, just missed or never gained. All of this is delivered without a sense ofself-pity, but rather with a clinical eye that has assessed the past andpresent, and in spite of the pain, taken something of a logical approach toeach heartbreak. If Sirens is any indication, there are great things to come from AdamCross.
Rating: 3 Stars(Out of 5)