Adem - Love And Other Planets
[Domino]

Firstly, it's worth noting that 'Love and Other Planets', Adem's second album, is a concept album of sorts. There will no doubt be those reading this for whom the dreaded words, 'concept album' immediately cause warning lights to flash, conjuring up images of twee hippy nonsense or unbearable 30 minute plus bearded prog rock 'song suites'.

Well, don't be scared, while the twelve songs that make up this album are thematically linked, there is none of the pretension that usually leads to this type of endeavour being disregarded as grand folly. Instead the common thread running throughout is Adem's sense of wonder at the ineffability of love and outer space, two things that are at once wondrous and mysterious and can, at times, be too much for the human mind to grasp.

This overwhelming sense of wonder is most palpably realised in the textures of instrumentation that dominate throughout. The sound that Adem conjures is otherworldly, but intensely human at the same time. Acoustic guitar, chiming bells and harmonium add warmth and help achieve the seeming paradox of intimacy and spaciousness. Nowhere is this more effective than on the closing track, 'Human Beings Gather 'Round', which sees Adem imagining himself at the final moments of the world, backed only by accordion and glockenspiel it offers a delicate glimpse of hope and optimism in the moment that we fear the most; our own oblivion.

Along with his solo career, Adem is a member of Fridge with Kieran Hebden, who most will know from his work as Four Tet. There are times, most notably the gently percussive 'You and Moon' and 'Launch Yourself' where the influence of his band mate can be felt, but for the most part there are few musical similarities. Adem's slightly more traditionalist approach bears fruit, particularly on the startlingly lovely opening two songs. 'Warning Call' begins with unassuming acoustic guitars before the dreamlike chorus lifts off, while 'Something's Going To Come' sucks you in with it's fragile finger picking before hitting you with an unexpected burst of layered vocals.

What Adem has created is a concept album that manages to steer clear of the usual pitfalls associated with concept albums; instead of overblown musical conceits and an exaggerated sense of self importance, he has opted for an understated, but self-effacingly adventurous musical back drop and tackled his subject matter with a disarmingly vulnerable humanity that makes this quietly optimistic album all the more poignant.