Adult., Anxiety Always

While he was dropping this record off at my house before dashing out to the liquidation warehouse to buy some of that cheap expired ramen that I alerted him to, Bruce told me that "Anxiety Always" is Adult.'s first "real" album, since "Resuscitation" was a collection of older songs released on singles. The sound of "Anxiety Always" certainly is more focused, and singer Nicola seems to be a lot more panicky and worried about whatever it is she's singing about (I don't pretend to understand music, I just know what I like!), sort of like I do when I take a few too many of the pep pills the doctor prescribed after my last episode. One might even say that Nicola is "always anxious" on this album!

There's lots more guitar than on the last one, but don't let that fool you into thinking that Adult. aren't an electronic band anymore: there are still lots of catchy keyboard parts, with the guitar acting like a base, kind of like your left hand that does the chords while playing the piano. "Glue Your Eyelids Together" sounds like one of the good ol' rock n' roll bands that used to play down at Willy's, while "The Cold Call" and "Nervous (Wreck)" sound like they were written by robots!

It seems as though Adult. (I still can't get over that period!) took my comments about the having of F-U-N to heart, and have named a song on their new album "We Know How To Have Fun", just to make sure that anyone who might be put off by their name in the record shop will be able to flip the album over, read the names of the songs and know that their hearts are in the right place. That being said, on "Blank Eyed, Nose Bleed" Nicola asks "wouldn't it be nice to go to a party and be the only one there?" I for one have to say no. If that's your idea of a swingin' do, Nicola, then consider my apartment on Saturday night Studio 54!

-Bruce's Aunt Terri

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