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A native of Athens, Georgia, singer-songwriter Madeline Adams
creates music with a poetic bouquet layered in slices of folk, country,
bluegrass, and ethereal-pop. Her latest release White Flag
features a creative range of musicians from the orchestral tones of
John Fernandes on violin, Jacob Morris on cello, Laura
Carter on trumpet, Robbie Cucchiaro on euphonium, and Jason
Robira on piano, to country tones from Matt Stoessel on
pedal steel and Julien Derocher and Caleb Darnell on
banjo. The soft intonations of Adams' vocals are reflective of The
Corrs strapped to a bridle of gently versed bluegrass-embodied
musings reminiscent of Adrienne Young with shots of ephemeral-salved
pop that recall of Elf Power. Adams' album has a homey feel
that makes one think of meadows stretching out past the horizon covered
in fields of leafy clovers, dandelions, honeysuckles, and pussy-willows
growing out of the ground.
The melodies are sparsely layered as Adams moves her vocals like
a thin sheet of rayon wrapping its softness around the gently coiled
loops. Some tracks have an old-time country vibe like "Telephone
Daydream" laced up in a cozy saloon-style piano vamp, and "Lit
Elephants" soaked in soft bluegrassy puttering from the banjo's
strumming. The upbeat tempo of "This Train" is strewn in
elating ascents flapping from the pedal steel drones and vocals, while
"Shotgun Wedding" has a bluesy-pop shuffling in the rhythmic
grooves like Lucero with sage-sounding vocals professing, "It's
the pills we've been taking / Hallelujah fire water / One for sleeping
one for waking." The folksy acoustics shingling "Rain Fire
And Brimstone" are trellised in wispy tendrils and softly groomed
trimmings reflective of old-time Irish bards, while "You Can't
Break My Heart" has an Appalachian mountain-folk slant. The crystal-glint
of "Belly Of The Beast" and "Mountain Heart" induces
a lullaby glow as the malleable acoustics of "Black Out"
are basted in gusty vocals.
Madeline Adams is no novice when it comes to making attractive
country-folk tunes, having been writing and performing since 2002.
Her most outstanding quality is the softness in her vocals as the
earthy-pallor and rayon-textured acoustics twine into a poetic bouquet.
The album has a homey feel that speaks volumes about Adams' upbringing
in Georgia, which infiltrates every molecule in the songs.
-Susan Frances
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